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

Kristi Smith named ��Vlog��ýLR senior director of development

Shanna Fitzgerald — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 18:41:21 +0000

Kristi Smith, a University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate, has been selected to fill a key fundraising role for the university. Smith, who earned a ��Vlog��ýLR bachelor’s degree in international studies in 1995 and a master’s degree in public administration two years later, has been named the ��Vlog��ýLR senior director of development. She will create and execute donor prospect strategy and will work with priority philanthropic initiatives at ��Vlog��ýLR, such as the Chancellor’s Circle, the Center for Arkansas History and Culture, and the Foundation Fund board of directors. The North Little Rock native began her undergraduate studies as a Donaghey scholar, which enabled her to spend time abroad in Strasbourg, France. She graduated magna cum laude and worked as a graduate assistant in the Arkansas Institute of Government while she pursued her master’s degree. “I cherished my time as a student here and will forever be grateful to ��Vlog��ýLR for being able to graduate from college debt-free,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, many students who attend ��Vlog��ýLR don’t have the same experience. Many are dependent on loans to get them through, which leads me to why I will be calling (potential donors) soon.” She has a message for those potential donors: “The gifts you make will truly impact a student’s life and will allow them to realize the dream of graduating from the world class institution that is ��Vlog��ýLR,” Smith said. Smith served as assistant to the dean of the ��Vlog��ýLR Graduate School, where she remained four years. She also spent four years working at the College of Medicine at the (��Vlog��ýMS). She later worked in pharmaceutical sales for , earning numerous sales awards including being named to the Circle of Excellence during her nine years with the company. Smith and her husband, Greg, have two miniature schnauzers, Dottie and DiDi, at home in Little Rock. She is an active member of the Beta Pi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

��Vlog��ýLR law school receives $1 million grant for Business Innovation Center

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 14:43:28 +0000

The has given a $1 million grant to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law to create a Business Innovation Clinic. The new clinic will be the first in the state to focus on providing business law advice and services to small businesses, innovators, and nonprofit organizations. “I am proud to play a part in helping to create the Business Innovation Clinic at the Bowen School of Law,” said Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, a ��Vlog��ýLR law school graduate. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and this clinic will allow students at Bowen the opportunity to directly help businesses grow and create more, better-paying jobs for Arkansans while protecting consumers.” Bowen law students, under the supervision of an experienced business law attorney, will work with entrepreneurs in launching and building their businesses, negotiating their contracts with business partners, and protecting their ideas and innovations. In addition, the clinic will offer educational programs for small business owners and potential entrepreneurs. Programming will focus on ways to navigate the many issues that challenge new enterprises. “This is an excellent opportunity for Bowen students who are pursuing business law careers,” said Bowen Dean Michael Hunter Schwartz. “They will have the chance to counsel real clients and will have the satisfaction of seeing those clients thrive.” The clinic will also forge partnerships with community organizations that already serve small business owners’ nonlegal needs. Volunteer attorneys throughout the state will collaborate with the clinic. In this way, Bowen can support the efforts of Arkansas small business owners to bring their ideas to market, enjoy innovative successes, and create more jobs for their fellow Arkansans. “This innovative clinic is a great demonstration of how a university can serve the needs of the private sector and support economic development,” said ��Vlog��ýLR Chancellor Andrew Rogerson. “By working directly with new entrepreneurs when they need expert help the most, this clinic will help strengthen Arkansas’ small business sector, which in turn will create Arkansas jobs and expand the state’s economic base,” Rogerson said. Legal Clinic Director Kelly Browe Olson and Bowen Assistant Dean for External Relations Wanda Hoover worked closely with the Attorney General’s office to secure this grant. The Business Innovation Clinic will be the law school’s sixth legal clinic. Other Bowen clinics include a mediation clinic, a clinic focusing on family law matters for clients based in Arkansas’ Delta region, a low-income taxpayer clinic funded by the IRS, a consumer protection clinic, and a general litigation clinic.

Campus Campaign kicks off, Chancellor offers match

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 14:09:56 +0000

As the 2013 Campus Campaign kicks off, committee members are reminding employees that it’s always time for ��Vlog��ýLR and every gift, like every employee, is vitally important.

To underscore that point, Chancellor Joel E. Anderson and his wife, Ann, have donated $1,500 for to match new donor gifts, dollar for dollar.

Anderson said ��Vlog��ýLR’s faculty and staff play an important role in the success of the university’s annual fundraising efforts. “The generosity of our employees represents more than just money donated. It demonstrates that ��Vlog��ýLR is an institution our employees are proud to support,” Anderson said. Bob Denman, vice chancellor for the Office of Alumni and Development, said the ability to secure funding from outside sources is sometimes dependent on the willingness of employees to support the university’s mission. “We have examples of donors who either made their decision to support ��Vlog��ýLR or increased their support based on the fact that our own faculty and staff were willing to support it themselves,” he said. Employees have a remarkable history of supporting the university, according to Dr. Brad Patterson, chair of the Campus Campaign. Patterson said support has grown over the years to more than 50 percent participation. During ��Vlog��ýLR’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, It’s Time for ��Vlog��ýLR, donations from employees represented more than $3 million of the record $103.6 million raised. “The strong institutional commitment of ��Vlog��ýLR faculty and staff is evident by their answer to our call for their assistance. I am proud to have been a part of this campaign in the past, and I look forward to seeing it grow even more this year,” Patterson said. Sarah Lindsey Harrison, manager of annual giving at ��Vlog��ýLR, explained that the focus of the Campus Campaign is not on the amount given but on the impact this giving can have on the university. Donations of any amount given during a calendar year are included in the 2013 campaign. Every department is encouraged to achieve full participation by its employees, regardless of the dollar amount of individual donations. The following departments or areas gave 100 percent during the 2012 campaign: African American Male Initiative Alumni Relations Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center Budget Office Campus Life Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering Cooperative Education Bowen School of Law, Dean’s Office Office of Development Donaghey Student Center Facilities Management-Environmental Health Safety Financial Services Graduate Institute of Technology Health Services Information Technology Minor International Student Services Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education Mail Services Sequoyah Research Center Study Abroad Program Testing Services and Student Life Research Vice Chancellor, Education and Student Services To give to the Campus Campaign, go to ualr.edu/development or call contact Harrison at 501.683.7502 or slharrison1@ualr.edu.

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 Association receives $800,000 gift for scholarships

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:55:33 +0000

Merrily F. Purnell Parker has donated $800,000 to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Alumni Association, the largest gift ever received by the association. The funds will be used to establish the Owen W. Parker Sr. and Merrily Parker Endowed Scholarship and provide for any education-related expenses. The renewable scholarship will be awarded at the end of each spring semester for use in the next academic year. Preference will be given to music or philosophy majors. Owen W. Parker Sr. attended Little Rock Junior College, the predecessor institution to ��Vlog��ýLR. The funding fulfills a key mission of the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association, a division of the Office of Alumni and Development, according to Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Development Bob Denman. Denman said that the gift, as well as other gifts made to the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association and ��Vlog��ýLR’s Annual Fund for ��Vlog��ýLR, enables more students to enroll while also reducing or even eliminating the need for student loans. “We have an increasing number of ��Vlog��ýLR friends and benefactors who have made the investment of a lifetime through bequests, gift annuities, and other plans,” Denman said. “An endowed scholarship of this kind is a gift that creates a permanent legacy for ��Vlog��ýLR students. Endowed gifts are placed in a permanent fund, and a portion of the income earned from the fund provides scholarship assistance to students, both on a need and merit basis.” Paul Nolte, a member of the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Board of Directors and chair of the Alumni Association’s scholarship committee, applauded the Parker Trust for its contribution. “We carefully consider the needs of our students and make a thoughtful decision to award scholarships,” he said. “A student receiving the Owen W. Parker Sr. and Merrily Parker Endowed Scholarship at ��Vlog��ýLR will be receiving the gift of a lifetime.”

In 2006, the Alumni Association launched an initiative to garner increased support from alumni to assist ��Vlog��ýLR students.

According to Associate Vice Chancellor of Alumni and Development Christian O’Neal, the initiative to raise money for need-based undergraduates scholarships cannot be overstated. “Through their participation in annual and planned giving, ��Vlog��ýLR alumni inspire hope for generations of students, just as the Parkers have done,” O’Neal said. Students interested in learning more about the newly established award are encouraged to call the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association at 501.683.7208. For more information on establishing an endowed scholarship through estate planning, contact Director of Planned Giving Mary C. Boaz at 501.569.8738.

Mitchell appointed planned giving officer

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 22:20:21 +0000

Peggy Mitchell has been appointed Planned Giving Officer in the Office of Alumni and Development at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Mitchell came to ��Vlog��ýLR in 2006 to be the first prospect researcher for the university, one year into a comprehensive campaign that exceeded its goal and garnered over one hundred million dollars. Prior to coming to ��Vlog��ýLR, Mitchell worked for the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation to assist in their $30-million dollar fundraising campaign. She worked at Lyon College prior to that, playing a role in helping the college exceed their $80-million dollar fundraising campaign. Mitchell has a bachelor of science in business administration from Arkansas State University.

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.”

��Vlog��ýLR Creates C. Fred Williams Endowment in Public History

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:47:41 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock recently created an endowed scholarship in the name of retired history professor C. Fred Williams in recognition of his wide-ranging achievements. A titan in the world of Arkansas history, Williams has spent more than 40 years as a teacher, mentor, and advocate, expanding the knowledge of our state far beyond its borders. As a professor at ��Vlog��ýLR, Williams not only attended to the scholarly aspects of the discipline of history, but devoted himself to educating a wider audience. Nowhere is this more evident than in his brainchild, “A Documentary History of Arkansas,” which he published in 1984 with departmental colleagues. The collection of articles, letters, speeches, and government documents dating back to the 17th century is still in use today at schools across the state. “Fred Williams has made important contributions to ��Vlog��ýLR and Arkansas by shedding light on the history of Arkansas and the role Arkansas has played in the history of the United States,” ��Vlog��ýLR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson said. “He is a thoughtful scholar who understands the importance of learning about and learning from history. Because of his work, research, and mentoring of other faculty members, ��Vlog��ýLR is a leader in educating students and the community about Arkansas history. This scholarship endowment will honor Fred, but also help the university do what Fred spent his career doing which is positively affecting the lives of students through education.” Williams indeed wore many hats while at ��Vlog��ýLR: professor of history, chair of the History Department, associate dean of the then-College of Liberal Arts, associate vice chancellor for education programs, and president of the University Assembly and Faculty Senate. “It has been thanks to his support and encouragement that our department has been at the forefront of the study of the history of our state,” said Ed Anson, Williams’ longtime friend and ��Vlog��ýLR history professor. “During his term as chair, Dr. Williams oversaw the greatest growth in the size of the department, hiring 10 faculty members, most of whom either completed their academic careers at ��Vlog��ýLR or are still in the department.” Not just an academic, Williams ensured that his scholarly pursuits remained accessible to the public. He played a pivotal role in bringing Arkansas history to life while preserving it for future generations, speaking to numerous community groups, securing more than $2 million in grant funding for local public schools, and holding leadership positions in several historical societies. Williams led the Pulaski County Historical Society in 1974 and 1975, was secretary-treasurer of the Agricultural Historical Society, and president of the Arkansas Association of College History Teachers. Williams embraced his adopted state, authoring several books on Arkansas, including “The Bear State Image: Arkansas in the Nineteenth Century” and “Understanding the Little Rock Crisis: An Exercise in Remembrance and Reconciliation” with Elizabeth Jacoway. Among his many honors are the Arkansas Historical Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the ��Vlog��ýLR Faculty Excellence Award for Service, Humanist of the Year by the Arkansas Humanities Council, and the Gladys Baker Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Agricultural History Society. Williams earned his bachelor’s degree in history from East Central State College in Ada, Okla., in 1965; his master’s degree at Wichita State University in 1966; and his doctorate in American History from the University of Oklahoma in 1970. To contribute to the C. Fred Williams Endowed Fund, send a check payable to the ��Vlog��ýLR Foundation at 2801 South University, Little Rock, AR 72204-1099 or go online at /development/give/. Designate the gift to the C. Fred Williams Endowed Fund in the “Other” section on this page.

Former University Relations Director Dies

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:58:12 +0000

Dr. Neyland Hester, 90, of Traskwood, a long-time administrator at ��Vlog��ýLR, died Monday, Jan. 28, at the Hot Spring County Medical Center. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of J.A. Funk Funeral Home.

Dr. Hester joined ��Vlog��ýLR in 1963 as the institution’s first director of University Relations and wore many hats during his 23 years of service to the university. As director of development, he worked closely with the president and the board of trustees in the university’s second capital campaign that reached its goal of $1.5 million. While serving as assistant to the president from 1967 to 1970 and assistant to the chancellor from 1970 to 1971, he was involved the merger of Little Rock University and the University of Arkansas System.

As director of special projects during the 1970s, Hester supervised the office of Alumni Affairs, News Services, Computing Services, University Publications, Intercollegiate Athletics, and Institutional Studies. He was appointed as the university’s first director of affirmative action. He was an instructor in journalism for 12 years and taught evening courses during the 1960s and 1970s. He was also a consultant to several Arkansas public school districts, Philander Smith College and Quapaw Council of Boy Scouts of America. As an ordained minister, he officiated many faculty and staff nuptials. He also met his wife Scherrie at ��Vlog��ýLR. In his spare time, Dr. Hester was a master woodworker. As he neared retirement, he and Scherrie spent their spare time building their dream home – a log cabin in Traskwood with a large barn for his woodworking. The family has requested memorials to ��Vlog��ýLR or to the Traskwood United Methodist Church. To make a gift to ��Vlog��ýLR in his honor, go to /development/give/ and designate the Dr. Neyland Hester fund. You can send a check payable to the ��Vlog��ý Foundation to the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Development, 2801 S. University Ave., Little Rock, AR 72204-1009.

Distinguished Alum John Ward Dies

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 17:31:34 +0000

Journalist, author, trustee of the Winthrop Rockefeller Charitable Trust, and ��Vlog��ýLR’s 2011 Distinguished Alumnus John L. Ward died Thursday, Nov. 29, following a lengthy fight against cancer. He was 81. He is survived by his wife, the former Betty Chandler, a son, and a daughter. Services are pending with in Conway. “John Ward was Arkansas through and through. He was a political strategist, a gubernatorial adviser, a public relations man, an editor, an author, and much more. In all roles he worked to make Arkansas at better place,” said ��Vlog��ýLR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson. “In addition to that, with a wonderful sense of humor, he was always good for a laugh. I never had a conversation with him I did not enjoy. We were all enriched by his life and are impoverished by his passing.” A one-time high school band director, Ward was a full-time news reporter at the Arkansas Democrat and the father of two children while finishing his B.A. degree requirements at night at what was then Little Rock University. He graduated in 1968, a year before Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller signed legislation changing the institution’s name and making it part of the state university system. “It was the most satisfying academic experience of my life,” Ward said of his time at ��Vlog��ýLR. “It was a great learning environment. They treated you the way you should be treated – that you were not out there for any other reason than to get an education and go out in the marketplace and use it.” In May 2011, ��Vlog��ýLR presented Ward with its annual Distinguished Alumnus Award, adding his portrait to a wall of fame in the Bailey Alumni Center. A professional saxophone player, he was a few credits shy of a music degree when the reporting bug caught him. His editor at the Democrat set him loose across the state to find and pursue interesting stories. One of them – about a schizophrenic man at the state hospital – caught the attention of Winthrop Rockefeller, who was preparing to run for governor. From 1964 through 1971, Ward was director of public relations for Rockefeller’s operations and was campaign manager for his boss’ successful re-election as governor in 1968. Years later, Ward was invited to be campaign manager for the governor’s son, Winthrop Paul Rockefeller, in his successful campaign for lieutenant governor. Ward’s biography of Winthrop Rockefeller, one of the four brothers who were grandsons of Standard Oil Co. founder John D. Rockefeller, was published in 1978 by Louisiana State University Press. Ward wrote a second book about the elder Rockefeller, “Winthrop Rockefeller, Philanthropist,” published by the University of Arkansas Press in 2004. Ward was a member of the board of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and served as chair for four years. He became director of information services for the University of Arkansas System until 1988 when he was named vice president for public affairs at the University of Central Arkansas. He eventually joined the administrative staff of the University of Arkansas System, where he remained until January 2005, when he was named director of marketing and public relations for The Winthrop Rockefeller Center, now The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, located on Petit Jean Mountain. Ward also served many years as chair of The Winthrop Rockefeller Distinguished Lectures Committee and also served for a time as a director of the Oxford American, a literary magazine published at UCA. His honors include the American Cancer Society’s Special Citation for a series of articles; the “Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Service“ from the Institute of Politics and Government; the “Man Of the Year 1981” designation from the Arkansas Press Association; the “Distinguished Service Award” from the Arkansas Press Association in 1982; and the “Distinguished Service Award” from ��Vlog��ýLR in 1983. He is a charter member and former president of the of the Arkansas chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, Society of Professional Journalists.

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

Kristi Smith named ����Vlog��ýLR senior director of development

����Vlog��ýLR law school receives $1 million grant for Business Innovation Center