��Vlog��ýLR art professor designs new Fribourgh Award

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 15:59:32 +0000

When Dr. Mary Good receives the seventh annual Fribourgh Award on Thursday, Sept. 15, at the Pleasant Valley Country Club, she will also become the first recipient of a unique work of art designed by a local Little Rock artist and art professor. Michael Warrick, a University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor, created the new Fribourgh Award, given to individuals who have made considerable contributions to the state through the disciplines of mathematics and science.

In the past, the Fribourgh Award committee utilized a commercial company to provide the award. This year, the committee searched for a local artist to reimagine the award. Warrick designed six versions of the award that he presented to the committee. The choices were narrowed down to one from which a wooden model was created. In the end, Warrick utilized a basic and modern design with some interesting elements, including hammered surface texture and a gold leaf.

��Vlog��ýLR Art Professor Michael Warrick created a new Fribourgh Award.

While the project took about six months, which is longer than he originally planned, Warrick is excited about how the award turned out. “Whatever I can do to make a project the best possible project, I do. I think of the time spent as an investment,” he said. “There is an old Chinese proverb that inspires me. The sting of doing something badly lasts much longer than the pleasure of doing it right.” Created in 2010, the Fribourgh Award honors the late Dr. James H. Fribourgh, ��Vlog��ýLR professor emeritus, who served the university for more than 45 years in various roles, including chair of life sciences, interim chancellor, vice chancellor for academic affairs, and distinguished professor of biology. Good’s public service record is extensive having served in various federal, state, and local positions such as undersecretary for technology for the Technology Administration in the U.S. Department of Commerce, member of U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and chair of the Little Rock Technology Park Authority Board.

Mary Good

At ��Vlog��ýLR, Good served as a special adviser for economic development to former Chancellor Joel Anderson, chair of ��Vlog��ýLR’s George W. Donaghey Emerging Analytics Center Management Board, and founding dean of the ��Vlog��ýLR College of Engineering and Information Technology. “I have admired her approach to developing the Engineering and Information Technology program,” Warrick said. “She has done a wonderful thing for the state and the university.”

Clifton named interim dean of ��Vlog��ýLR College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 17:43:45 +0000

Professor Tom Clifton has been named the interim dean of the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Clifton, chair of the ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Art and Design and a professor of art who specializes in illustration, was selected based on recommendations from the chairs of the departments within the College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences and his excellent record of service with the university, said Dr. Zulma Toro, interim chancellor of ��Vlog��ýLR. Clifton led efforts that resulted in a $20.3 million gift, the second largest gift in ��Vlog��ýLR’s history, for the design and construction of a new visual arts building. The Windgate Center of Art and Design, a contemporary educational facility that will integrate ��Vlog��ýLR’s Applied Design, Art History, and Studio Arts classes, is scheduled to open at ��Vlog��ýLR in 2018. “The Windgate Foundation has worked with us since 1995 and has been a great supporter of ��Vlog��ýLR for more than 20 years,” he said. is also one of the primary architects of a new degree program, the Bachelor of Arts in web design and development. The program is interdisciplinary, and includes information science, mass communications, and rhetoric and writing courses. “During the selection process, it was clear that Professor Clifton has the support of colleagues from different areas in the college, and his interpersonal skills and understanding of higher education in the 21st century have been an asset to his department, college and our university,” Toro said. Clifton received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Minnesota State University and a Master of Fine Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design. He is a Fulbright scholar who studied the art and culture of Egypt at in Cairo, Egypt. He began his career as an illustrator and graphic designer in 1989. As an artist, Clifton enjoys merging traditional art with new technology. Some of his favorite lessons include teaching students how to incorporate laser etching and 3D printing into art. “My parents were business people, entrepreneurs. To me, commercial art was where I was coming from,” Clifton said. “I really enjoyed painting and drawing, and graphic design was an extension of that. It was a combination of making a living and also enjoying what I was doing — and doing what I was good at.” Clifton began his career in higher education as an assistant professor of art at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He joined ��Vlog��ýLR as an assistant professor of art in 2000 and was promoted to associate professor in 2005. In 2013, Clifton became a full professor and the chair of the Department of Art and Design. “The biggest success of my career has been the opportunity to see my work published, working with students and seeing their successes,” he said. “I have been teaching since 1993, and have seen my students go out in the world and become successful artists and entrepreneurs.” Clifton and his wife, Suzanne, live in Redfield and are the proud parents of twins. Their daughter, Mariah, is an occupational therapist, while their son, Ian, is pursuing a doctoral degree in biology. The experience of watching his children attend college has better prepared Clifton to be a leader in higher education. “My kids have gone through college, and I have had the opportunity to see their struggles as they earned their degrees,” he said. “That has given me a better understanding of what a student goes through. As a dean, I want to have a positive impact by addressing student struggles and distractions before they’re overwhelming.” A national search to hire a permanent dean for the ��Vlog��ýLR College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences will be conducted at a later date.

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

����Vlog��ýLR art professor designs new Fribourgh Award

Clifton named interim dean of ����Vlog��ýLR College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences

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

��Vlog��ýLR art professor designs new Fribourgh Award

Clifton named interim dean of ��Vlog��ýLR College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences