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

Shellam Shares Importance of Art and Business Philanthropy in Higher Education

John Hill — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 15:06:49 +0000

Philanthropist Leslye Shellam shared the importance of supporting college students in both the arts and business during a Sept. 27 panel discussion at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The first-of-its-kind panel brought together business school and art students in one scholarship presentation to show a greater benefit to the community. Shellam has a unique perspective with having created scholarships across disciplines at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. She is a major contributor to the L. Dickson Flake Scholarship in honor of her father, one of four original partners of the predecessor to , and created the Linda Blaine Flake Scholarship in honor of her mother, who was an artist. “Leslye has a creative spirit and powerful passion for education,” said Elizabeth Small, director of business networks and instructor of real estate development, who moderated the panel discussion. “Many of us knew Linda and Dickson Flake, and they would have enjoyed their daughter’s desire to help students.” The panelists also included Michael Johnson, director of development for the College of Business, Health, and Human Services, and Joseph Lampo, director of development for the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education. “I do love art, and I love business,” Shellam said. “I love it more and more now that I see the creativity in business. Finding the synergies between disciplines, whether it’s nursing or education, that is something we can all offer. My husband Ray and I are grateful to have this opportunity to keep honoring my parents and what their legacy was, and we hope to do that as long as possible.” The panel also honored some of the 2022-2023 student scholarship recipients, including Flake Scholarship Recipients Ashley Lawrence and Lamar Townsend as well as Linda Blaine Blake Scholarship Recipient Annika Wade. Wade asked Shellam how her mother’s art inspired her to become a philanthropist, and why she feels so strongly about supporting students today. “My parents died recently, and this was honoring their legacy,” Shellam said. “My dad was very involved with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. My mom loved it when she got to expose her art to students.�� You have to do what you think they would have wanted you to do.”

Members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Art and Design program pose with scholarship recipient Annika Wade, second from left, and scholarship donor Leslie Shellam, second from right. An original painting by Arkansas artist and philanthropist Linda Blaine Flake was donated to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock by Flake’s daughter, Leslye Shellam, during a panel discussion on how art and business are connected and the importance of philanthropy in supporting students in both fields. Photos by Ben Krain.

Shellam went on to describe how accessing both your creative and business sides will help people become more successful in life. “The best accountants get artistic, and the best lawyers come up with the most creative arguments,” Shellam said. “My father was credited with figuring solutions to development issues that were considered impossible, but he looked at it from a different way. I think it was his confidence. He was confident enough to let the creative part of his brain look at the problem from a different angle. He would often discuss a business problem with my mom, who was a fine artist. She would say, ‘Dickson, it’s as simple as this,’ and that was the solution. My mom would do the same thing. My father didn’t have any art background, but he would often have the answer.” Shellam concluded the panel by presenting all of the student scholarship recipients with cards featuring her mother’s artwork. She also announced the donation of one of her mother’s paintings, “Market Song,” to the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Permanent Art Collection. The painting depicts beautiful songbirds singing while perched in a colorful cage.

Five ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Employees Honored as AMP Power Women for 2021

John Hill — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 14:11:24 +0000

Arkansas Money and Politics (AMP) has recognized five ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees on the list. AMP annually closes out the year by focusing a spotlight on women in Arkansas who are setting themselves apart in the world of business and politics. The AMP Power Women for 2021 were nominated by readers. Each has blazed a trail, exhibited outstanding leadership, or enhanced her company’s performance. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees who were named to the AMP Power Women for 2021 list include: ·�� Joni Lee, vice chancellor for university affairs ·�� Meaghan Milliorn, interim co-director of communications and marketing ·�� Dr. Mia Phillips, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs ·�� Heather Reed, director of student retention services ·�� Elizabeth Small, director of business networking More information about the honorees: Lee is responsible for working with local, state and federal offices to elevate ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s position in the region. She has more than three decades of experience at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and had previously served as a public policy researcher in the Center for Arkansas Initiatives, vice chancellor of university advancement, and chief government relations officer. Lee is a member of the inaugural class of the Civility Leadership Institute of General Wesley Clark’s organization, Renew America Together. “There are so many women on this list for whom I have the greatest respect because of the amazing things they do every day that moves Arkansas forward.�� I’m honored to be listed among them.�� I feel privileged to work with an organization in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock that impacts our state for the good and that I can be a part of that impact through my work.” Milliorn heads up web, social media, and graphic design efforts for the university in the Office of Communications and Marketing. A 12-year veteran of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Milliorn is a 2019 winner of the coveted Red Stapler Award for giving a best of track presentation at the Higher Education Web Professionals Association. “I am proud to be included in this list of outstanding women in Arkansas, but it’s especially meaningful to be included among these other female leaders at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” Milliorn said. “The past few years at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock have really shown how dedicated our staff and faculty are to fully supporting our students and helping them succeed. I love that our students have so many different backgrounds and experiences, and that we have programs and resources for everyone. The fact that I can help communicate about and promote those programs and resources is really important to me, and I look forward to seeing all that we will accomplish as a university in the coming years.” Reed is also a recent graduate of the Master of Public Administration Program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, social media chair of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Phi Kappa Phi chapter, the 2021 Ben Fry Service to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Award winner, member of the Heartland of Arkansas United Way Board of Directors, and has recently been selected to join the Southern Regional Education Board Student Success Advisory Council. “It is an honor to be nominated for the AMP Power Women for 2021,” Reed said. “I hope I can be a role model for other women in higher education but, most importantly, help students navigate their way through college to become future leaders in Arkansas!” Phillips also serves as the director of the Multicultural Center at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and is the former communications and special project coordinator in the Office of the Chancellor. She also serves as a mentor for the Single Parent Scholarship Fund, member of the Vera Lloyd Foundation Board, as well as an advisor for the University’s Gospel Choir. A native of El Dorado, Arkansas, she earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas, and master’s and doctoral degrees from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “The women featured on the AMP Power Women for 2021 List are positively shaping their industries and enhancing their respective organizations in so many ways,” Phillips said. “It’s an honor to be included in such good company and to be recognized for doing the work that I love to do.” Small works with central Arkansas businesses to explore ways to partner and engage with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. She also heads ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Real Estate Program in the School of Business. Prior to joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she served as chair of PDC Construction and president and CEO of PDC Companies. She is also an Arkansas real estate licensed broker as well as a member of several boards and organizations, including Goodwill of Arkansas, Rotary Club of Little Rock, Fifty for the Future, International Women’s Forum, and Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum. “It is an honor to be included with such a dynamic group of women in AMP,” Small said.�� “Introducing and connecting businesses to outstanding ��Vlog��ý Little Rock programs, students, and faculty has been an extremely rewarding experience. Creating new ways and enhancing existing opportunities for businesses to interact with the university is energetic and fun. To be recognized for those efforts is most appreciated and humbling because I work with an amazing team of people.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown Welcomes New Staff Members

John Hill — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 18:43:26 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown operations have expanded with the addition of two new staff members: Ashley Clayborn, director, and Maha Ramzan, office administrator. �� They are joined by Elizabeth Small, director of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Real Estate Program and newly appointed director of business networks, who will spend significant time at the Downtown facility. Ashley Clayborn is now heading ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown. As the director, she focuses on curating the downtown space for educational and professional programming. The director serves as a university liaison through public relations, community engagement, and relationship management with internal campus stakeholders and external partners. Clayborn earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hendrix College and a master’s degree in communication from the University of Arkansas. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Rural Education from the University of West Alabama. Before joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Clayborn worked as executive assistant to the president at National Park College. She said it was her interest in public engagement through community spaces that led her to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown. “When I completed my master’s degree, I wrote a thesis on the ways we use public space to affect identity, whether that is looking at public history or creating spaces for public engagement,” Clayborn said. “I found a passion for public space. Then the pandemic hit and public spaces were no longer safe for my research, so I made a transition from traditional academia to an administrative role at National Park College. I loved the people, and it got me thinking about more applied work engaging with the public and community. This position is the perfect marriage of my professional goals and research interests.” Clayborn also works with the Downtown Little Rock Partnership on the Second Friday Art Night Committee. She looks forward to restarting Friday Art Night celebrations at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown and plans to start with an exhibit of artwork from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Permanent Art Collection for the November event. Maha Ramzan has joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in a dual role as the office administrator for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown and the Sequoyah National Research Center. This position is responsible for the coordination of administrative activities in both centers including day-to-day scheduling, internal communications, and financial management.

Photo of Maha Ramzan by Ben Krain.

Before joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Ramzan worked as a patient guest representative at Baptist Health. Ramzan is a 2021 graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management. She also earned an Associate of Liberal Arts and Science from ��Vlog��ý-Pulaski Technical College and is pursuing a Master of Business Administration from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Small is now based at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, where she teaches classes in the Real Estate program and works with central Arkansas businesses to explore ways to partner and engage with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Our recent reorganization under CAHC allows us to pivot ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown toward a new focus on education, business, culture and the arts, and civic reflection,” Clayborn said. “We offer classes and educational events at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown as well as work with the university community to connect the upcoming work force from the university with the local business industries.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown is also the home of the Joe Jones mural, “The Struggle in the South,” since 2018. Completed in 1935 at Commonwealth College in Mena, the mural serves as an example of protest art made during the Great Depression. “We want to showcase art exhibits, student creations, and archival materials from the Center for Arkansas History and Cultural to create conversations around the Joe Jones Mural,” Clayborn said. “Dr. Deborah Baldwin views ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown as a space for the community to come together and host seminars, workshops, lectures, exhibits, and educational programming. We want to start conversations that are directed toward increasing civic engagement.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown is open for classes and events under the fourth phase of Covid restrictions. The center can host up to 60 people for a standing reception and 45 people for a lecture or other seated event.

Small Selected for Leadership Arkansas Class XVI

John Hill — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 12:24:59 +0000

Elizabeth Small, director of business networks and instructor of real estate at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has been selected for Leadership Arkansas Class XVI. Small is one of 48 people in the state who has been selected for the exclusive leadership program, which is operated by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas. All of the class members are leaders within their respective communities and professions and are interested in expanding that involvement. “I look forward to sharing the chamber’s year of economic and political exploration with a great group of participants with such diverse interests,” Small said. “It is a privilege to represent ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in the Leadership Class.” Over the course of nine months, the class members will work together to become better acquainted with the issues facing Arkansas, experience the best that the regions and communities offer, and hone their leadership capacities. “I believe the statewide innovation we will discover and create will bring strength to our own organizations and regions,” Small said. “Strong regions equal a strong state.” At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Small identifies business partnership opportunities, designs continuing education business programs, and develops public presentations highlighting the work of university faculty, students, and graduates. As the head of the Real Estate Program, Small connects talented students to the real estate industry by relying on her own industry experience and the expertise provided by an advisory board whose members represent a variety of real estate related fields. She integrates real estate classroom experiences with experiential learning and includes research in real estate issues and policy that support the industry in Arkansas. Prior to joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Small was the president/CEO of PDC Companies and PDC Construction. She has 32 years of experience in the real estate development, management, and commercial construction industries. Her responsibilities centered on the origination and development of numerous properties in several states. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Small is a graduate of Hendrix College and received her MBA at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Small and her husband, Tom, live in Little Rock as well as their daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Names Elizabeth Small as New Business Industry Liaison

John Hill — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 13:30:56 +0000

Elizabeth Small, primary instructor for the Real Estate program in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s School of Business, will take on an additional role with the university as director of business networks.�� will help drive industry engagement and will be based at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown beginning this fall.�� In this expanded role, she will work with central Arkansas businesses to explore ways to partner and engage with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. This comes as the university is expanding continuing education programs and doing more to promote the work of university faculty, students, and graduates. As Arkansas’s only metropolitan university, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is committed to partnering with industry to better understand its needs and expand the workforce in central Arkansas.�� “Elizabeth’s reputation as an industry leader is well established,” according to Dr. Ann Bain, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost. “Her ability to understand the needs of the workforce and help coordinate a university response will better support our outreach efforts.” Small earned a bachelor’s degree from Hendrix College and a Master of Business Administration from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Prior to joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she served as chair of PDC Construction and president and CEO of PDC Companies. In addition to being a college instructor, Small is also an Arkansas real estate licensee broker as well as a member of several boards, including the Affordable Housing Association of Arkansas, Rotary Club of Little Rock, Fifty for the Future, and Arvest Bank. ��

Colliers Arkansas $25,000 Donation Points to Industry Support of Real Estate Program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

John Hill — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 17:50:56 +0000

Colliers Arkansas has made a $25,000 donation for a University of Arkansas at Little Rock scholarship established in honor of Colliers Arkansas Co-Founder L. Dickson Flake. The gift from Colliers Arkansas brings the L. Dickson Flake Endowed Scholarship to more than $230,000, which allows for more scholarships to be awarded in the fall for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students pursuing an education in finance and real estate.�� “Dickson Flake was truly a legend in the Arkansas business community. I was fortunate to be hired by him in 1993 as I was finishing graduate school at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” said Kevin Huchingson, CEO and chairman of Colliers Arkansas. “He was my mentor and close friend throughout the rest of his life. Dickson established our firm’s foundation and principles, the core values that have guided our firm for 50 years. He valued education and loved to hire students from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and within the state. Dickson believed that knowledge and integrity were essential to advising our clients. This endowed scholarship will ensure that his teachings and values live on through even more generations of real estate professionals in our state.” Flake’s daughter Leslye Shellam created the scholarship last year with a donation of $100,000 after family friends said that her father would want his legacy to promote education. “My dad was known for education,” Shellam said. “Whenever you ask someone what they remember about dad, besides his interest and devotion and dedication to education, they all had their little nicknames for him. They had something to do with him being the wise one, the perceptive one, and the teacher. This scholarship is carrying on what’s important to my father. I think this scholarship is going to be around for a lot of years to come and help a lot of people.” Flake, who passed away last year at the age of 81, was well known in the Little Rock real estate community. In 1971, Dickson joined three partners to form Barnes, Quinn, Flake and Anderson, predecessor of the Little Rock – Bentonville commercial real estate firm of Colliers Arkansas, which is now the largest commercial real estate company in the state. “What a lot of people don’t know about Dickson is he basically created the commercial real estate industry in Little Rock,” said Isaac Smith, president of Colliers Arkansas. “Prior to Dickson, nobody was doing what we were doing today. There were appraisers and residential realtors, but he was the first to add a value service to people who were wanting to develop buildings and buy and sell buildings. He was an absolute pioneer in the Little Rock commercial real estate industry.” The endowment is expected to provide almost $10,000 per year for the scholarship. It will be used to provide assistance for education-related expenses, including tuition, books, fees, and room and board, for undergraduate students pursuing a finance degree with an emphasis in real estate in the School of Business. The first recipient of the scholarship is Stephen Malec, a senior finance major with concentrations in real estate as well as financial services and risk management. Shellam presented Malec with the scholarship Feb. 23 at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown. “As the first recipient of this generous award, I am excited to see this scholarship award continue for many years to come,” Malec said. “This generosity and support for the School of Business and the Real Estate Finance program is admirable and greatly appreciated. My family and I are extremely grateful for this generosity on behalf of the family of Dickson Flake, I am further inspired to achieve my goals and pursue my dreams. I greatly appreciate this tremendous support.” At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Flake served as a member of the Board of Visitors for 12 years and served as chairman from 1995 to 1996. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock began the real estate program in the 1970s and began revising the program in 2016 with advice from the local real estate community. The rapid endowment of this scholarship shows the importance of real estate in Little Rock. “Dickson Flake’s legacy runs throughout our entire region and beyond the borders of Arkansas,” said Elizabeth Small, primary instructor for the real estate program. “He was always in ‘teaching mode,’ and he would be very happy to know students in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Real Estate Program will benefit with this scholarship opportunity. Current and future students will want to know the many accomplishments of such an industry giant and this will not be hard to share. Dickson touched many lives through words of wisdom, and he took the time to show concern for our region’s future. Emulating the value system of such a pragmatist will be a great lesson for all real estate students.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and Colliers have a continuing effort to grow the L. Dickson Flake Endowed Scholarship to $300,000 by the end of the year. In the upper right photo, Leslye Shellam, left, daughter of L. Dickson Flake, talks with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock business student Stephen Malec, right, and Elizabeth Small, center, primary instructor for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Real Estate program. Malec is the first student to receive the new L. Dickson Flake Endowed Scholarship. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock receives $100,000 to establish endowed scholarship for Colliers International co-founder Dickson Flake

John Hill — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 22:57:03 +0000

A proud daughter has made a $100,000 donation to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to honor her father’s legacy in real estate. Leslye Shellam, daughter of L. Dickson Flake, one of four original partners of the predecessor to , made the donation to establish the L. Dickson Flake Endowed Scholarship during an Oct. 28 reception at the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus. “My father saw a great future for Little Rock. He was an avid Trojan fan, loved the university, and loved the education prospects,” Shellam said. “His goal for the scholarship is to give students the chance to get creative and able to concentrate on his or her vision to bring the real estate industry forth for the city and for the good of all of us who live here.” The scholarship will be used to provide assistance for education-related expenses, including tuition, books, fees, and room and board, for undergraduate students pursuing a finance degree with an emphasis in real estate in the School of Business. Flake, who passed away this summer at the age of 81, was well known in the Little Rock real estate community. In 1971, Dickson joined three partners to form Barnes, Quinn, Flake and Anderson, predecessor of the Little Rock – Bentonville commercial real estate firm of Colliers International, which is now the largest commercial real estate company in Arkansas. In 1973, Flake was the youngest member to date invited to membership in the American Society of Real Estate Counselors in 1973. He served as the organization’s president in 1989. He was awarded the CCIM organization award from the Realtors National Marketing Institute and SIOR designation from the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors. In 1982, he received the Snyder Award from the CCIM organization for the most creative real estate exchange in the U.S. He was a member of The Little Rock Realtors Association, serving as its president in 1972 and was Arkansas Realtor of the Year in 1971. “My dad lived real estate. He loved it dearly, lived it daily,” Shellam said. “It is so much more than a degree or a title. I think my dad really demonstrated and lived that. He was a true family man, provider, teacher, and always there when you needed him. The company, Colliers International, was his second family. It shows you how whatever you do, the dedication and the ethics that you do it with, expands much further. I am so grateful for the bridge that these families, dad’s and Colliers, continue to impact Little Rock’s future, and I can’t wait to see the results of the students who are embarking on this career.” In addition to his prowess in the real estate community, Flake was a firm believer in the merits of higher education. He served as a member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Board of Visitors for 12 years and served as chairman in 1995 and 1996. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s College of Business began its real estate program in the 1970s, but the college began revising the program in 2016 with advice from the local real estate community.�� “This donation reflects the importance of real estate in the local economy and of having an excellent real estate program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” said Dr. Mark Funk, chair of the Department of Finance. “Enrollment in the real estate program has doubled in the past few years.”

Dickson Flake

Elizabeth Small, former president and CEO of PDC Companies and PDC Construction, serves as the primary instructor for the real estate program. Since joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Small said the real estate program has placed an emphasis on building partnerships with the real estate community to provide opportunities for students to participate in real-world experiences before they graduate. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Real Estate program includes an advisory board, established in 2019, comprised of industry professionals who consult on curriculum development, serve as guest presenters/teachers in the classroom, open their businesses for educational field trips, serve as mentors, and provide internship opportunities for students. Small recalled how dedicated Flake was to the success of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock real estate program. “He was a powerful voice of reason in a most pragmatic and sometimes subtle way,” Small said. “When transitioning from a career in real estate development to teach that very subject, I received a wonderful note of congratulations and encouragement from Dickson. Because Dickson’s words were always special and supportive, I kept that note and I always will. When Dr. Wayland hired me to teach, my conversations with Dickson turned from the business of real estate to real estate education. He remained encouraging, supportive, and was clear about wanting us to produce graduates qualified to work not only in his office, but in other offices in the region. Dickson saw our students, as we do, as part of the economic development engine that keeps a region strong.” In the upper right photo, Dr. Jane Wayland (left), dean of the College of Business, Health, and Human Services, Leslye Shellam (center), daughter of L. Dickson Flake, and Elizabeth Small (right), instructor of real estate, attend a reception at the Bailey Alumni Center to celebrate the establishment of the L. Dickson Flake Endowed Scholarship at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock receives $62,000 donation to create scholarship for real estate majors

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 16:06:55 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a $62,000 donation from the Arkansas Real Estate Foundation to create an endowed scholarship fund for real estate students. Board members of the Arkansas Real Estate Foundation and members of the Arkansas Real Estate Commission as well as ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors, staff, and real estate students cheered during the signing of the documents acknowledging the donation.�� “We are charged with educating the public and practitioners about real estate, and we felt there was no better way to do that than to support an institution that is changing the future of our market,” said Stuart Mackey, president of the Arkansas Real Estate Foundation. “We are just excited to invest in the education of students in Arkansas.” The Arkansas Real Estate Foundation Endowed Scholarship will be awarded annually to a junior or senior real estate student who is an Arkansas resident and has a GPA of 2.75 or higher. The scholarship can be used for tuition, books, fees, or room and board. “The Arkansas Real Estate Foundation’s investment in the lives of our students and our College of Business will impact central Arkansas’s real estate industry for generations to come,” said Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement. “As one of just three endowed scholarships supporting our real estate program, this gift will continue to grow in perpetuity, allowing us to support multiple students each year with the critical funds needed to continue their education. We are grateful for both The Arkansas Real Estate Foundation’s support of our students and their trust in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.”�� Vlog��ý Little Rock’s College of Business began its real estate program in the 1970s, but the college began revising the program in 2016 with advice from the local real estate community.�� “There is not a single person who hasn’t been affected by real estate at some point in their life, so this program really has something for everybody, said Dr. Mark Funk, chair of the Department of Economics and Finance. “The real estate market is changing constantly, and we felt there was an opportunity to better serve the real estate industry in central Arkansas. Our students were seeking more opportunities in the real estate community to prepare for their careers.”�� Elizabeth Small, former president and CEO of PDC Companies and PDC Construction, was hired as an instructor for the real estate program.�� “Real estate is my passion,” Small said. “I was in the real estate business for 32 years and decided it was time to make a change and do what I wanted to do since I was 4 years old, which was to teach. When I started two years ago, the list of real estate majors was short, but it has grown incredibly.”�� Since joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Small said the real estate program has placed an emphasis on building partnerships with the real estate community to provide opportunities for students to participate in real-world experiences before they graduate.

��Vlog��ý Little College of Business students, faculty, and staff participate in a scholarship signing ceremony with members of the Arkansas Real Estate Foundation Board to establish a scholarship benefiting real estate students in the Department of Economics and Finance. Photo by Ben Krain.

Members of the Arkansas Real Estate Foundation and other members of the local real estate community serve on a 13-member advisory board, as guest speakers in classes, and mentors to students as well as consult on curriculum development and provide internships opportunities.�� “We really appreciate the efforts of the Arkansas Real Estate Foundation,” Small said. “Stuart Mackey has been a great proponent for these scholarships, and the students are already asking how to apply. This is a signature day for the College of Business real estate program.”�� The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock real estate program prepares students for careers in real estate investment and management, real estate law, real estate title and research, property management, appraising, and bank lending.

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

Shellam Shares Importance of Art and Business Philanthropy in Higher Education

Five ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Employees Honored as AMP Power Women for 2021

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown Welcomes New Staff Members

Small Selected for Leadership Arkansas Class XVI

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Names Elizabeth Small as New Business Industry Liaison

Colliers Arkansas $25,000 Donation Points to Industry Support of Real Estate Program at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock receives $100,000 to establish endowed scholarship for Colliers International co-founder Dickson Flake