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

Donors honor memory of Michael Allen Lasiter with ��Vlog��ýLR scholarship

Shanna Fitzgerald — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 15:48:04 +0000

Former friends and colleagues are honoring the memory of Arkansas construction industry leader Michael Allen Lasiter by donating $60,000 toward helping future civil and construction engineering students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. On Monday, Dec. 12, about 10 donating companies and organizations presented the check to establish the Michael Allen Lasiter Endowed Scholarship, which will serve as a permanent tribute to Lasiter’s contributions to the central Arkansas construction industry. The Michael Allen Lasiter Endowed Scholarship will help full- or part-time students majoring in civil and construction engineering at the ��Vlog��ýLR College of Engineering and Information Technology. Special consideration will be given to first-generation college students and Arkansas residents. This scholarship will help future engineers turn their dreams into reality, said Lawrence Whitman, dean of the ��Vlog��ýLR Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT). “It is great to see a group of people come together and honor a person who impacted their lives which will impact future professionals for years to come,” Whitman said. “Also, I am grateful that the person the scholarship is named after modeled lifelong learning, as that is what ��Vlog��ýLR EIT hopes to instill in its students.” At a young age, Lasiter, a Little Rock native, started working at his father’s business, Lasiter Asphalt Maintenance, a small asphalt repair company. He eventually built that business into Redstone Construction, one of the largest highway and asphalt construction companies in the state. Those who worked with him lauded Lasiter’s focus on mentoring, the value he placed on education, and his ability to motivate his employees to reach their full potential. In 2007, Redstone became the first Arkansas company to recycle waste asphalt and concrete — cutting costs and helping the environment by giving new life to waste products that previously ended up in landfills. By 2011, under Lasiter’s leadership, Redstone acquired a quarry, which helped the company open asphalt plants and enabled it to pursue larger highway projects. In late 2015, doctors diagnosed cancer in Lasiter. He studied the disease, sought the best available medical advice, and followed treatment plans, but lost his battle with cancer two months after his 50th birthday. A written tribute by the donors praised Lasiter’s legacy: “Michael’s life was one of learning and teaching. He learned from every situation he encountered. His can-do attitude enabled him to motivate others from the things he had learned. He led by example. He never backed away from any challenge. His legacy will undoubtedly be carried on by everyone he mentored.” Donors to the scholarship include:

Paul Black
Burkhalter Technologies, Inc.
An anonymous donor

Pictured in upper right: Michael Allen Lasiter

Butterfly Swamp Fun Run leads to ��Vlog��ýLR scholarship

Shanna Fitzgerald — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 14:57:19 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock students have a new scholarship option, thanks to the efforts of a family still coping with the tragic loss of two children. In 2013, Ryan Palludan was set to begin classes at ��Vlog��ýLR when he died of complications from previously undiagnosed Loeys-Dietz syndrome — a connective tissue disorder that can affect vessels attached to the heart.

Philip and Deborah Palludan recently held a thank-you celebration for sponsors and helpers at the Butterfly Swamp 5K Fun Run, which raised money for a memorial scholarship honoring the memory of their two children.

A year later, Ryan’s sister Katherine, also a ��Vlog��ýLR student, died following multiple heart surgeries. She had the same condition. Philip and his wife, Deborah, sought to honor their children’s memories, first by establishing an endowed award and then by expanding it into a scholarship fund. Starting in the fall, the Katherine and Ryan Palludan Endowed Scholarship will provide $1,000 to a ��Vlog��ýLR student to help cover education-related expenses, including room and board, tuition, books, and fees. Preference will be given to students from Arkansas who demonstrate strong leadership and community service and who are working toward a degree in biology, nursing, geology, or anthropology. Academic accomplishment and financial need will be strong considerations. Sponsors and participants helped Deborah and Philip Palludan raise about $12,000 in the May Butterfly Swamp 5K Fun Run on the ��Vlog��ýLR campus. Half of the proceeds go to the new endowed scholarship fund, and the other half will benefit the Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation for research. The couple recently hosted a celebration at their Bryant home to thank sponsors and others who contributed to the success of the Butterfly Swamp 5K. In the future, the Palludans plan to make the 5K an annual activity, with a goal of further increasing scholarship money available to students. For more information about the numerous scholarships offered at ��Vlog��ýLR, click here. To find out more about future Butterfly Swamp 5K Fun Run events, “like” .

Self-made millionaire donates $1 million to ��Vlog��ýLR for scholarships

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 13 May 2014 21:43:38 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been selected for a $1 million endowment that will support scholarships for nontraditional college students who want to return to school to finish their college education. The Bernard Osher Foundation of San Francisco selected ��Vlog��ýLR for the endowment, the only institution in Arkansas to offer the Osher Reentry Scholars Program. The foundation has already provided ��Vlog��ýLR $50,000 per year since 2012, and the first cohort of Osher scholars are set to graduate this May. The endowment ensures ample funding will continue into perpetuity and help bridge the gap in the cost of education for even more ��Vlog��ýLR students. “This endowment could be a game-changer for higher education in Arkansas,” said Laurie Ann Ross, who was director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the time she wrote the grant and subsequent reports. “It represents two years’ worth of reports that show how we are reaching a segment of students who benefit most from the extra financial support this funding provides. Osher Scholars are returning to school, staying in school, and finishing their degrees,” said Ross, whose current title at ��Vlog��ýLR is Director of Development and External Affairs. The scholarship is for working adults between 25 and 50 years old with a cumulative gap in their education of five years or more who are pursuing their first baccalaureate degree. Potential scholars must show academic promise and a commitment to completing their degree. The ability to demonstrate financial need not necessarily covered by federal student financial aid is also considered. The scholarships provide $4,000 for full-time students and $2,000 for students who are enrolled part-time. The scholarship is given to newly matriculating students; however; returning Osher Reentry Scholars who have reapplied and continue to meet all other criteria are given preference. More about Bernard Osher Bernard Osher, a patron of education and the arts, established the foundation in 1977 to seek to improve quality of life through support for higher education and the arts. He is funding the ��Vlog��ýLR endowment from his personal reserves. A native of Biddeford, Maine, and a graduate of Bowdoin College, Osher began his career managing his family’s hardware and plumbing supply business in Biddeford before joining Oppenheimer and Co. New York. He relocated to California and became the founding director of World Savings, the second largest savings institution in the United States, which was sold to Wachovia Corp. in 2006. A collector of American paintings of the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, Osher purchased the fine art auction house of Butterfield & Butterfield in 1970 and oversaw its growth to become the fourth largest auction house in the world. In 1999, he sold the company to eBay. Osher currently serves as president of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Foundation and vice-chair of the American Himalayan Foundation. He is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Learn how to apply at Osher Reentry Scholarship.

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Keltner Scholarship helps fulfill college dreams for single mothers

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 16:48:19 +0000

��Vlog��ýLR graduate Monica McDaniel – who at one time supported four children on her salary as a cocktail waitress and bartender – calls Phyllis A. Keltner her “dream maker.” “I am a walking billboard for all single moms to not give up, because there are people like Ms. Keltner who has made the impossible possible,” said McDaniel, who graduated with a degree in health education and promotion at age 45. Keltner is the woman behind the Phyllis A. Keltner Foundation for Women Scholarship, which gives single mothers the opportunity to get a college education at ��Vlog��ýLR to provide a more financially secure future for their families. McDaniel said her entire life was altered as a result of the scholarship, which covers up to 12 credit hours of tuition and fees and $300 in books per semester. Lisa Hicks, 50, a ��Vlog��ýLR student who works full-time shared similar sentiments about the impact the Keltner Scholarship has had on her life. “My Pell Grants had run out and I was running low on financial aid so receiving this scholarship was a miracle,” Hicks said. Hicks returned home to Arkansas from Dallas at age 40. She had to start over in a job that offered no retirement, no health insurance, and no prospects of promotion. She said receiving the scholarship helped her reduce the number of hours she worked in order to support her 11-year-old daughter. “I was having to work until 9 at night, and it’s hard to study when you are that tired. I don’t know how I would’ve continued in school without it,” she said. Hicks said she hopes to complete her degree in history by the end of summer and plans to become a middle school teacher after that. “You can always live the life you were meant to live,” she said. “You just have to be willing to work hard for it.” Applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered for the scholarship:

Be currently enrolled as a non-traditional undergraduate student at ��Vlog��ýLR
Be a single mother with dependent children
Demonstrate academic accomplishment
Complete a 2014-15 FAFSA to demonstrate financial need
Complete a written narrative

Download the scholarship application and apply by March 1. Scholarship recipients for the 2014-15 award year will be announced in May. For more information or questions, contact privatescholarships@ualr.edu or call 501.683.7819.

Students encouraged to seek scholarships, avoid debt

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 21:44:45 +0000

Fifty-five percent of Arkansas students will graduate from college with an average debt of $23,324, according to the latest figures available through the California-based Institute for College Access and Success. Although most education advocates agree that scholarship funding goes a long way towards mitigating debt, some students fail to realize just how much aid is available. One example includes the estimated 75 percent of nontraditional college students in the U.S. This so-called “new majority” includes commuters who are juggling their families and jobs, along with school. Nontraditional students sometimes miss the vast number of scholarships available to them, according to Cynda Alexander, nontraditional student programs coordinator at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “It can be daunting,” Alexander said. “But the money is out there if the student is willing to put in the effort.”

Student takes advantage of scholarship opportunities

That was the case for Wendy Lyons, 43, a professional and technical writing major. Lyons earned enough in scholarships to cover her tuition, fees, and books in full for the 2014 spring semester, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do with the $500 left after all her college expenses were paid. She decided to reinvest in the university by buying a $500 lifetime membership to the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association knowing that the fees help support student scholarships. “It just seemed like the right thing to do,” she said. Lyons’ first success with applying and receiving any kind of scholarship came from the Alumni Association. That $500 scholarship was enough to help pay for all her textbooks, saving her hundreds of dollars. “From that first scholarship everything just snowballed,” said Lyons, who spent several months sifting through scholarship applications after she attended an on-campus workshop offered by the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Campus Life specifically geared toward non-traditional students. The workshop was presented by Alexander, Derek Boyce, alumni membership coordinator, and Stephanie Conrad, private scholarship coordinator. “I was flying blind,” admitted Lyons. “I never understood how financial aid worked or much of anything about scholarships, so I was going by the seat of my pants for a while.” The lack of scholarship applicants is not unusual, according to Alexander, who said only 30 percent of available funding is distributed because of low applicant numbers. It is indicative of the challenge educators face in recruiting students who believe the only way through school is substantial debt, she said. “What these non-traditional students need to understand is that people want to give money to this applicant pool because (students) are such a great investment,” Alexander said.

Apply by March 1

��Vlog��ýLR has numerous private scholarships available to current undergraduate and graduate students, as well as incoming students.

Students can complete the private scholarship application and find information on scholarships offered by the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association and each academic college.

The deadline to apply is March 1.

To learn more, contact Conrad at 501.569.3035 or privatescholarships@ualr.edu.

Numerous scholarships still available, Feb.1 deadline

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 22:13:26 +0000

Are you are first-time freshman, returning to school after taking time off, or transferring from a two-year college? Regardless of your academic niche, scholarships abound at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Apply now.

��Vlog��ýLR senior Waynette Lochridge Franklin first took the Compass Test to enter a two-year college program several years after graduating from Fordyce High School.

A scholarship helped offset the cost of college for Franklin.

Several academic scholarships are available for incoming students with the right qualifications, but the final application deadline is fast approaching and must be received by Feb. 1.

Some of the ��Vlog��ýLR academic scholarships for new students include the Chancellor’s Academic Distinction, ��Vlog��ýLR Academic Achievement, Freshmen Award, Engineering and Information Technology scholarship, and the Shelby Breedlove Transfer scholarship.

Feb. 1 is also the priority or preferred deadline for Donaghey Scholars, Chancellor’s Leadership Corps, and East Scholars.

The next step is filling out the online scholarship application. Potential students are reminded that awards are determined annually based on eligible applications and available funding.

Scholarship reaches full endowment, recipient earned trip to D.C.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 22:42:07 +0000

The Stonewall Scholarship at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has reached full endowment thanks to help from money raised at a recent fundraiser in Washington D.C., hosted by the scholarship founders.

Jeff Dutton and Bryan Goodman, both ��Vlog��ýLR alums who graduated in 1996, established the scholarship in 2004 to encourage students interested in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.

This year’s recipient is Clint Brockway, a graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Studies program at ��Vlog��ýLR who works as an American Sign Language interpreter. Brockway said the award will offset the costs associated with his master’s thesis.

“Without it, I’m not sure how I would be able to gather the information I need to write my thesis and graduate,” he said.

Brockway received an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington as part of his award. Past scholarship winners are always invited to return each year to participate in the Washington D.C. fundraiser, held at Dutton’s Logan Circle home.

Sarah Beth Estes, an associate dean in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, has served on the scholarship selection committee since coming to ��Vlog��ýLR in 2006.

She said although the scholarship was initially offered only to students in CAHSS, it is now being offered to new and returning students university wide.

“The applicants are really doing impressive work academically, politically, and creatively,” she said.

Estes said that until last year, the scholarship was the college’s largest award.

“It is truly remarkable that Jeff (Dutton) and Bryan (Goodman) invite past recipients to come back to participate, and I think it is fantastic we have such great envoys for ��Vlog��ýLR,” Estes added. “It’s really phenomenal to have this strong base of support in Washington.”

Goodman said interest in the scholarship and the annual fundraising event to support it has grown through the years.

“The scholarship winners are all interesting people who have done interesting things, so getting to know them has been rewarding for Jeff and me,” said Goodman. “It’s really become like a family. And it’s been a great way for ��Vlog��ýLR to get its name out in this area.”

Interestingly, Goodman said a wide cross section of people regularly come to the fundraiser, and participants are not confined to people actively involved in advancing LGBT issues.

“Folks from both ends of the political spectrum come, and I think they come because they want to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves,” Goodman said. “They see people coming up from Arkansas who are working to make a difference, and I think that makes people feel good to be part of that effort.”

Derek Boyce, membership and engagement manager at the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association, joined the cohort traveling to Washington for the annual ��Vlog��ýLR fundraiser in November. He said contributions so far have lifted the endowment to over $21,000.

“This Washington fundraiser has become a wonderful new tradition that will not be leaving anytime soon,” added Boyce.

Scholarship co-founders, Bryan Goodman and Jeff Dutton; 2013 scholarship recipient Clint Brockway; former recipient Bryant Phelan

To be eligible for the scholarship, a full-time or part-time student at ��Vlog��ýLR must be able to demonstrate knowledge of LGBT issues and have a record of community leadership and/or demonstrate leadership capabilities. Academic accomplishment is strongly considered along with financial need. The Stonewall Scholarship is one of several private scholarships available to both new and returning students with a March 1 deadline. Apply at ��Vlog��ýLR private scholarships.

Additionally, the Shelby Breedlove Transfer Scholarship is available for students who have earned at least 45 hours of credit at a two-year accredited Arkansas community college with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. The final application deadline is fast approaching and must be received by Feb. 1.

First-time entering freshman can apply for scholarships by completing the academic scholarship application. The deadline is Feb. 1.

For more information, contact Stephanie Conrad, private scholarship coordinator at ��Vlog��ýLR, at 501.9.3127.

Apply for Private Scholarships by March 1

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:23:41 +0000

Thursday, March 1, is the deadline for students to apply for the various privately endowed scholarships, including four separate scholarships offered by the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association, and college-specific scholarships for students in various majors. Stephanie B. Conrad, director of the ��Vlog��ýLR Private Scholarships office, said a Scholarship Workshop from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, in the Leadership Lounge in ��Vlog��ýLR’s Donaghey Student Center will give students an overview of available scholarships and offer one-on-one conferences with scholarship coordinators. “The workshop will give details about ��Vlog��ýLR private scholarships and the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund,” Conrad said. “We also will have writing interns from the University Writing Center on hand to help students with their essays.” She said students need only to fill out the 2012-2013 ��Vlog��ýLR General Private Scholarship application in order to apply for all general private scholarships. “These scholarships are available to a wide range of students, from undergraduate to graduate alike,” she said. “Awards each have their own eligibility criteria, but are commonly given based on criteria such as academic accomplishment and financial need.” There are also scholarships geared toward non-traditional students, students with mid-range grade point averages, and students from a particular region or high school. In addition to scholarships directed to specific majors, the Alumni Association offers four annual scholarships:

Alumni Forever Scholarship
Bailey Undergraduate Leadership Scholarship
��Vlog��ýLR Collegiate License Plate Scholarship
E. Grainger and Frances B. Williams Endowed Scholarship

Alumni Director Christian O’Neal said all sophomores, juniors, and seniors are invited to submit their applications to be eligible to receive awards in fall 2012. Click on a college and see what is offered:

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

Donors honor memory of Michael Allen Lasiter with ����Vlog��ýLR scholarship

Butterfly Swamp Fun Run leads to ����Vlog��ýLR scholarship

Self-made millionaire donates $1 million to ����Vlog��ýLR for scholarships