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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock employee giving breaks record in 2016

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 15:35:18 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock employees gave more than ever during the university’s 2016 annual giving campaign.�� The $362,702 donated broke the 2015 campaign total, $347,000, by more than $16,000, making 2016 the largest amount of money raised during the university’s employee giving campaign. High-employee giving resonates with outside donors and demonstrates the strong philanthropic culture at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, said Derek Boyce, director of annual giving and alumni membership in the Office of Alumni and Development. “It’s important to let our community know that our faculty and staff are invested in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” Boyce said. “The campus campaign is a measure of that support, and we have been blessed by the awesome support of our faculty and staff. The campus campaign keeps outdoing itself year after year. These results speak volumes to our alumni, donors, and community partners.” The campaign also provides an important revenue stream to the university’s annual fund. Nearly 700 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees participated in the campaign, and 19 departments had a 100 percent employee giving rate. �� For more information, contact Boyce at 501-683-7355 or dcboyce@ualr.edu or visit the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Giving Page.

Member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Education and Health Professions Student Success Center receive cookies for their participation in the 2016 employee giving campaign.

��Vlog��ýLR hosts $10 Alumni Night Aug. 27 at Dickey-Stephens Park

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 17:44:27 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host Alumni Night Saturday, Aug. 27, at Dickey-Stephens Park. For $10, ��Vlog��ýLR alumni and friends can enjoy an all-you-can-eat picnic and a night at the ballpark to watch the final Arkansas Travelers home game of the season. All ��Vlog��ýLR alumni, friends, family, faculty, and staff are invited to watch the Arkansas Travelers battle the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The picnic will begin at 6:10 p.m. at the Club Car on the concourse overlooking the field, followed by the game at 7:10 p.m. The menu will include hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, potato chips, popcorn, soft drinks, sweet tea, and water. ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Night is a new event meant to strengthen connections between alumni and the university. “During the summer, most people travel and go on vacations. Their schedules are very hectic,” said Derek Boyce, ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association director of annual giving and alumni membership. “We want to start a new summer tradition for alumni and their friends and families to stay connected with each other and the university.” Tickets can be purchased online through Aug. 25 or while supplies last. For more information, contact the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association at 501.683.7208.

��Vlog��ýLR alumna elected president-elect of American Pharmacists Association

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 13:53:05 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate has been elected as the future president of the largest association of pharmacists in the United States.�� Nicki Hilliard, a professor of pharmacy practice at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy, will serve as the 2017-18 president-elect of the and become the association’s president in March 2018. Founded in 1852, the American Pharmacists Association is the largest association of pharmacists in the country, with more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians as members. “I am very excited and very honored to have this position,” Hilliard said. “I am very passionate about pharmacy practices. I will be the first nuclear pharmacist to be the president of the association, so it goes to show that the association works for all pharmacists in all practice settings.” Nuclear pharmacy is a specialty area dedicated to the dispensing of radioactive materials for use in nuclear medicine procedures. Hilliard graduated from ��Vlog��ýLR in 1990 with a master’s degree in health services administration. Her degree from ��Vlog��ýLR helped broaden her understanding of the healthcare system and healthcare management, Hilliard said. After ��Vlog��ýLR, she earned a doctorate in pharmacy from ��Vlog��ýMS. She has pharmacy practice experience in both independent and chain pharmacies and free medical clinics. In addition, Hilliard has focused on becoming an innovative educator of nuclear pharmacy practice and management and has expertise in inter-professional education, online learning, and educational technology. Hilliard is a former member of the American Pharmacists Association’s board of trustees, where she served on the Governmental Affairs, Strategic Directions and Policy Standing committees. She served on the Board of Pharmacy Specialties and is the current chair of the Pharmacy Provider Status Task Force and the Government Affairs Committee for the Arkansas Pharmacists Association. As president-elect, Hilliard will serve on the association’s board of trustees and the Executive Committee and lead the association Academy Leadership Meeting. One of Hillard’s focuses will be the association’s goal to have pharmacists identified as health care providers eligible for Medicare Part B reimbursement in the Social Security Act. This identification would allow pharmacists to provide more services for people who are covered under Medicare and Medicaid.

��Vlog��ýLR receives Bank of America grant for Summer Bridge Academy

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 21:13:21 +0000

A recent award from the will help fund a University of Arkansas at Little Rock program that prepares incoming freshmen for college-level work. The $12,500 donation will help finance this year’s Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy, a three-week residential program. Students who participate in the program can save $1,000 by eliminating the need for remedial math and English courses. In addition, they earn a $200 stipend, get free room and board through the university, and participate in special events, motivational workshops, and fun activities. Since the academy began in 2013, 107 students have completed the program. “For young people in the Little Rock community, productive opportunities during the summer like schooling or employment are critical for filling free time and preparing them for a successful outlook,” said Donnie Cook, Bank of America’s Arkansas state president and Little Rock market president. Cook said that when students are engaged in continuing their education or working during the summer months, it often leads to a better future for them and for the local economy. �� “At Bank of America, we’re proud to partner with organizations like ��Vlog��ýLR and in particular the Summer Bridge Program because we know that with access to the right resources, young people can obtain the education and workforce skills they need which are so critical to long-term career success for them and our community,” Cook said. Summer Bridge Coordinator Jonathan Bobo said ��Vlog��ýLR administrators started the program to ensure students do not fall behind in their academic classes. “While they are important, students do not gain college credit by taking developmental classes, and it can keep them from graduating on time,” Bobo said. “We wanted to try to intervene prior to the students coming to college. The Summer Bridge Academy also gives them an opportunity to get a taste of the college life. A lot of the students are nervous when they first arrive, so it gives them a chance to get to know the campus.” Participants also have the opportunity to build long-lasting relationships with faculty, staff, mentors, and peers. Prospective students must apply to be considered for the program, which is intended for students who have been admitted to ��Vlog��ýLR but require developmental math based on standard test scores. �� Applicants must be willing to commit to spending the full three weeks — including weekends — on campus in an academically intensive learning environment. This year’s program is set to run from July 10-30 on the ��Vlog��ýLR campus, and 25 to 30 students are expected to participate. In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ýLR students participate in the 2015 Dr. Charles W. Donaldson Summer Bridge Academy.

Anonymous donor gifts ��Vlog��ýLR with $300,000 for student success initiatives

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 31 May 2016 21:23:06 +0000

An anonymous donor has given the University of Arkansas at Little Rock a $300,000 contribution toward student success initiatives in the College of Education and Health Professions. The college’s Student Success Center will receive $100,000 a year for the next three years. Established in 2015, the center provides services for prospective and current students within the College of Education and Health Professions to help them achieve academic and professional success. “On behalf of the students and faculty of the College of Education and Health Professions, I would like to commend the donor for this commitment to enhance the support we offer students to reach their educational and professional goals,” said Zulma Toro, ��Vlog��ýLR executive vice chancellor and provost. One of the many students who has received assistance from the Student Success Center is Kenneth Edwards, a 25-year-old senior majoring in K through 12 special education. After the center staff helped him transfer from a mathematics program to special education, Edwards also utilized their services when he found himself struggling academically. “I thought about dropping out, but the center connected me with people in counseling services,” Edwards said. “They also told me about scholarships, tutoring sessions, and volunteer opportunities. Without their support, I wouldn’t be in college, and I wouldn’t have the grade point average necessary to have my scholarships and continue my education.” Thanks to this help, Edwards is on track to graduate in May 2017. He is a substitute teacher at St. Theresa Catholic School in Little Rock and also works for (P.A.R.K.), a nonprofit organization established by former NFL player Keith Jackson that provides afterschool and summer programs for students in eighth grade and on to help ensure they graduate from high school. Leah Thorvilson, director of development and external relations for the College of Education and Health Professions, said the donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, was motivated by a desire to help ��Vlog��ýLR students succeed. “The donor came to us and said, ‘I want to help,’” Thorvilson said. “The donor was really drawn toward the Student Success Center because the donor saw it as an investment in students.” The gift will be used to establish a student emergency support fund and to support the funding of a master’s level social worker responsible for implementing academic success initiatives. The social worker will monitor the academic progress of students utilizing the center by developing an early alert and warning system that will notify the social worker if a student’s grades are falling so intervention measures can be taken. Other duties of the social worker will include developing additional student success initiatives, applying for grants to support the center, and developing community relations to facilitate support services for students. In addition, the social worker will establish a referral system for students services, including tutoring, mentoring, counseling, health services, and financial management. The gift will also be used to establish a support fund for students who have emergency situations, which include having funds to purchase necessities such as food and clothing and paying unexpected bills – emergencies that often cause a student to drop out of school. “Students will be able to request support ranging from being able to purchase a tank of gas or help them pay tuition costs,” Thorvilson said. “If a student’s car breaks down, that may be the tipping point of whether they can continue in college or not.” In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ýLR students from the College of Education and Health Professions work in Dickinson Hall. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III.��

Elaine Eubank honored as 2016 ��Vlog��ýLR Distinguished Alumni Award winner

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 19 May 2016 22:18:27 +0000

A woman who has spent nearly four decades working in the public health sector and with nonprofit organizations recently received the 2016 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Distinguished Alumni Award. Elaine Eubank, president and CEO of , received the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association’s highest honor during a May 13 luncheon at the Clinton Presidential Center. “The Distinguished Alumni Award is recognized as a way to really point out exceptional achievement for former students of the university,” said Christian O’Neal, ��Vlog��ýLR vice chancellor for advancement. “Elaine Eubank has achieved extraordinary distinction in her career and made extraordinary contributions to Little Rock, to the university, and to the citizens of the state.” Eubank was the first person in her family to attend college, an opportunity she attributes to the hard work of her dedicated parents. �� “Thank you to ��Vlog��ýLR for this wonderful honor,” Eubank said. “I was the first in my family to have the opportunity to attend college, and that makes this more meaningful to me. The education that I received at ��Vlog��ýLR opened doors that made it possible for me to follow my heart in the career choices that I made, and that’s been a wonderful gift.” Eubank said she appreciates the many resources ��Vlog��ýLR has provided that have aided her work. “For 40 years, ��Vlog��ýLR has been a resource and a source of lifelong learning for me,” she said. “I’ve had so many special friends, faculty members, consultants, board members, and mentors from ��Vlog��ýLR over the years, and that also makes this very special to me. It’s no wonder that ��Vlog��ýLR is such an important partner to so many nonprofits in central Arkansas. I’m so grateful for the difference ��Vlog��ýLR has made in my life.” The award is also special to Eubank because she gets to join the ranks of family members who received some of ��Vlog��ýLR’s highest honors. Her husband, Alfred Williams, is a 2013 recipient of the ��Vlog��ýLR Presidents Award, and his father, E. Grainger Williams, is a 1957 recipient of the ��Vlog��ýLR Distinguished Alumni Award.

�� Becoming an advocate for those without a voice

After graduating from ��Vlog��ýLR with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1975, Eubank served as the director of women’s health at the Arkansas Department of Health, where she supervised the operation of 10 public health programs with an annual budget of $25 million that served approximately 80,000 patients. She next served as assistant director of the Arkansas Division of Aging and Adult Services, where she oversaw 10 statewide programs operated by more than 50 nonprofit agencies. One of her favorite aspects of her work is being an advocate for underserved populations in Arkansas. �� “In Arkansas, it is amazing what one person can accomplish if they go to the Capitol and lobby,” Eubank said. “I am a fighter and love being an advocate for people who don’t have a voice.”

Finding her place in nonprofit work

In 1992, Eubank moved to the nonprofit sector to become the president of , which provides resources for older people and their families in central Arkansas. Beginning with a staff of 400 employees and an annual budget of $4.5 million, Eubank helped the agency grow to almost 800 employees with an annual budget of $17 million. After 22 years at CareLink, Eubank became the president and CEO of Easter Seals Arkansas, a nonprofit organization that aids more than 20,000 Arkansans with disabilities per year. �� Easter Seals provides life-changing services that help children and adults with disabilities reach their full potential. For children, services include two developmental preschools, outpatient therapy, a children’s rehabilitation center, and in-home services. ��Services for adults include a wellness center, job training, four apartment complexes, and in-home services. �� Arkansas Business named her one of the ��Top 100 Women in Arkansas in 1995, and she is a former board member of the Rotary Club of Little Rock. ��She is a member of Second Presbyterian Church and the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association. Eubank and her husband have been married for more than 30 years and have two children and three grandchildren. She enjoys reading, gardening, and watersports, especially stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking with her dogs Winston and Daisy. �� In the upper right photo, the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Elaine Eubank, and her husband, Alfred Williams, are pictured at the Distinguished Alumni Luncheon. Photos by Lonnie Timmons III.

Paul Nolte named 2016 ��Vlog��ýLR Presidents Award winner

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 17 May 2016 21:21:11 +0000

Paul Nolte, a veteran entrepreneur of the election industry and a dedicated volunteer of the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association, recently received the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s 2016 Presidents Award. “I am very honored to be this year’s Presidents Award recipient, but I was very surprised,” Nolte said. “There are probably a lot of people who went to school with me in the ’60s who would have been very surprised.” Nolte, a 1967 graduate of ��Vlog��ýLR, received the honor during a May 13 luncheon at the Great Hall in the Clinton Presidential Center. Nolte described himself as a “free spirit and not a serious student.” Nolte recalled how his fellow ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association volunteers heckled him about his time as a student. One committee member said she would have expected “the Paul Nolte I knew back in the ’60s” to be the one making the license plates, rather than selling them to raise money for the Alumni Association. The Presidents Award is bestowed on individuals with career success and a profound dedication to the university. Nolte has modernized the Alumni Association’s scholarship application process and investments, ensuring that the association will be able to provide scholarships for generations of future Trojans. “The Presidents Award winner, Paul Nolte, has achieved remarkable success in his career and has donated hours upon hours of time and talent to the university and to Little Rock,” said Christian O’Neal, ��Vlog��ýLR vice chancellor for advancement. “He has remained in touch with the university as one of our lead volunteers.” After coming from a background as a not so serious student, Nolte has been impressed by the hard work and dedication of the incoming ��Vlog��ýLR students who have received scholarships from the Alumni Association. “These young people know exactly what they want to do,” he said. “All of these students are very serious students who are involved in their community. They give their time to tutor kids, and they do other things. It’s just very impressive.” For anyone who is interested in donating toward ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association student scholarships, Nolte said people can purchase a Trojan license plate, become a lifetime member of the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association, or participate in the annual Taste of Little Rock event. For more information, visit the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association website.

The road to the election industry

Paul Nolte

Nolte graduated in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a minor in advertising. By 1971, Nolte had a growing interest in printing election materials. He met Margaret Erim, who was the secretary of the Pulaski County Election Commission at the time, and began printing election proclamations and absentee ballots. After the 1976 elections, Nolte wanted to find a way to break into the election printing business full time. Voters in Pulaski County used Automatic Voting Machines that required a large pack of carbonized paper. Nolte thought that there must be a better way, so he redesigned the paper pack using carbonless paper. “I got the bright idea that we could make this out of carbonless paper. I was out in the garage redesigning this voting form. My wife, Diana, was getting worried. She asked me if I should be out making some sales, which was my real job at the time,” he said. Nolte called this new business Election Forms and Systems Corporation, which he sold to Roberts & Son in 1980 after establishing customers in 22 states. After the sale, Nolte worked for Robert & Son until that business was purchased by Business Records Corporation (BRC) in 1987.

Forming a new business

Phil Foster, the former owner of Roberts & Son who worked with BRC, invited Nolte to work as a sales representative covering Florida, and that is when Nolte got his next great idea to design a touch screen voting system. The two went into business together, but later split. Foster took the rights to the touch screen voting system, while Nolte retained ownership of the election management/ballot printing system and formed Election Resources Corporation (ERC). After the split, ERC continued developing the ballot printing system, which was ultimately ��licensed to county election officials in 10 states and commercial printing companies in eight states. Nolte found success with the company, but the controversial Florida vote during the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore brought the media spotlight to his door. For a man who hardly had his name in newspapers prior to 2000, Nolte spent six weeks appearing in publications like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post to respond to allegations that the butterfly ballots used in Palm Beach County, Florida, produced an unexpectedly large number of votes for third-party candidate Patrick Buchanan. Nolte was even slated to make an appearance on The Today Show, but he got bumped for singer Ricky Martin. In 2003 Sequoia Voting Systems purchased Election Resources Corporation. Nolte spent the next four years with Sequoia as vice president of software development and certifications. Once Nolte retired from Sequoia, he focused his efforts on helping Saline County with its elections and is currently developing a website that handles candidate filing and other election-related services.

Giving back

To keep up to date with technology, Nolte returned to ��Vlog��ýLR in 2009 to pursue courses in technology, databases, and computer coding. The experience was far removed from his first time as a student. He recalled that the most advanced technology course he took as an undergrad involved learning how to use a 10-key calculator. After he re-enrolled, Nolte began volunteering at the Alumni Association and was soon serving on the board of directors. He has since served two three-year terms, and is the immediate past chair of the Scholarship Committee. In his role as chair, he completely automated the scholarship system for the association, modernizing the application and interview processes, as well as planning and budgeting the scholarships through 2024. Previously, the association gave out one-time scholarships to students. Thanks to Nolte’s dedicated work, the association now awards an increasing number of continuing scholarships that follow students through their entire academic career at ��Vlog��ýLR. “I really enjoy working with the students. These kids that come through ��Vlog��ýLR are so focused, goal-oriented, and know what they want to do and how to get there,” Nolte said. “If I had been as focused as these kids are back in the 1960s, there is no telling what I might have done. I am so impressed with these kids.” Nolte is also a beekeeper as well as a Master Gardener, whose current project is the Governor’s Mansion Vegetable Garden. He and his wife, Diana, are avid travelers who love to spend time with their three daughters, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. In the upper right photo, the Presidents Award recipient, Paul Nolte (center), is congratulated by ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association President Don Riggin (right) and the Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Elaine Eubank (left). Photos by Lonnie Timmons III.

��Vlog��ýLR to honor Distinguished Alumni, Presidents award winners May 13

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 17:50:14 +0000

A woman who has dedicated her life to helping underserved populations in Arkansas gain access to better health care, education, food, and community-based services is the 2016 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Elaine Eubank is the president and chief executive officer of Easter Seals Arkansas, a nonprofit organization that helps more than 20,000 Arkansas children and adults with disabilities per year. �� She will receive the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association’s highest honor at a luncheon beginning at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 13, at the Great Hall in the Clinton Presidential Center. Joining Eubank is the 2016 ��Vlog��ýLR Presidents Award recipient, Paul Nolte, a veteran entrepreneur of the election industry and a dedicated volunteer and member of the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association. This award is bestowed on individuals with career success and a profound dedication to the university. Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for advancement, hailed the award winners as two wonderful ��Vlog��ýLR alumni who are committed to their alma mater and dedicated to serving their community. “Elaine Eubank has achieved extraordinary distinction in her career and made extraordinary contributions to Little Rock, to the university, and to the citizens of the state,” O’Neal said. “The Presidents Award winner, Paul Nolte, has achieved remarkable success in his career and has donated hours upon hours of time and talent to the university and to Little Rock.” The event is hosted by the ��Vlog��ýLR Foundation Fund Board and the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association. Elaine Eubank Elaine Eubank has dedicated more than 35 years working in public health and nonprofit organizations. She was the first person in her family to attend college, an opportunity she says was possible because of her parents’ hard work. After graduating from ��Vlog��ýLR with a bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1975, Eubank served as the director of women’s health at the Arkansas Department of Health, where she supervised the operation of 10 public health programs serving approximately 80,000 patients and with an annual budget of $25 million. She next served as the assistant director of the Arkansas Division of Aging and Adult Services, where she oversaw 10 statewide programs operated by more than 50 nonprofit agencies. In 1992, Eubank moved to the nonprofit sector to become the president of CareLink, which provides resources for older people and their families in central Arkansas. Beginning with a staff of 400 employees and an annual budget of $4.5 million, Eubank helped the organization grow to almost 800 employees with an annual budget of $17 million. After 22 years at CareLink, Eubank became the president and CEO of Easter Seals Arkansas in 2015. Easter Seals provides life-changing services that help children and adults with disabilities reach their full potential. �� Arkansas Business named her one of the ��Top 100 Women in Arkansas in 1995, and she is a former board member of the Rotary Club of Little Rock. ��She is a member of Second Presbyterian Church and the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association. Eubank and her husband, Alfred Williams, have been married for more than 30 years and have two children and three grandchildren. She enjoys reading, gardening, and watersports, especially stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking with her dogs Winston and Daisy. Paul Nolte Paul Nolte is a veteran entrepreneur of the election industry and a dedicated volunteer and member of the ��Vlog��ýLR Alumni Association. He has modernized the association’s scholarship application process and investments, ensuring that the association will be able to provide scholarships for generations of future Trojans. Nolte graduated in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a minor in advertising. When he returned to ��Vlog��ýLR to pursue courses in technology, databases, and computer coding in 2009, Nolte began volunteering at the Alumni Association and was soon serving on the board of directors. He has since served two, three-year terms, and is the immediate past chair of the Scholarship Committee. In his role as chair, he completely automated the scholarship system for the association, modernizing the application and interview processes, as well as planning and budgeting the scholarships up until 2024. Previously, the association gave out one-time scholarships to students. Thanks to Nolte’s dedicated work, the association now awards an increasing amount of continuing scholarships that follow students through their entire academic career at ��Vlog��ýLR. Nolte is also a beekeeper as well as a Master Gardener, whose current project is the Governor’s Mansion Vegetable Garden. He and his wife, Diana, are avid travelers who love to spend time with their three daughters, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Davis hired as new director of planned giving

Gloria King — Tue, 19 May 2015 15:36:29 +0000

Jan Davis has been hired as the new director of planned giving at . Davis previously worked as director of planned giving for the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. Her numerous achievements at UCA included the implementation of a planned giving program that resulted in more than $7,000,000 in secured gifts. While at UCA, Davis also partnered with local attorney to host estate planning seminars for local alumni and redesigned the Legacy society to include documented commitments in the area of wills and trusts She has served as project manager in research and development Acxiom Corp. in Conway and was human resource manager for the ALLTEL Corp. in Little Rock prior to her work in higher education. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Partnership for Philanthropic Planning, Arkansas Charitable Gift Planning Council board member and member of Faulkner County Leadership Institute, Class of 2006. Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from UCA in August 1998.

‘Childhood playground’ becomes family legacy for donor

Gloria King — Wed, 06 May 2015 14:33:27 +0000

The moment Charliss Russ lost her father in January 2013, it crystallized for her the urgency of doing something she had set out to do some time ago. “I always had in the back of my mind what I would set aside financially and where it was going to go,” Russ said. Contemplating her own eventual passing, Russ said there were several places she had considered leaving her own estate. Then it occurred to her she might meet the greatest needs by looking no further than her own former backyard. “��Vlog��ýLR was my childhood playground,” said Russ, explaining the home of her youth was located at the corner of 29th and Taylor Streets, near the ��Vlog��ýLR campus. Eventually, ��Vlog��ýLR represented not just a “playground,” but a place for learning. Professors at what was then called Little Rock Junior College taught the nursing students at St. Vincent Infirmary. “My mother was a nursing student at the St. Vincent Infirmary School of Nursing, Class of 1951,” said Russ. And Russ herself became a first-generation, non-traditional student at ��Vlog��ýLR who worked her way through an undergraduate and graduate degree while simultaneously working at St. Vincent. She says she wanted to honor her parents’ memory and also the valuable education she received at ��Vlog��ýLR. Leaving the entirety of her estate to the university, she has endowed no fewer than six scholarships (two named for her father, two for her mother, and two in her own name). With an endowment of $15,000 each, the first Russ scholarships will be awarded in fall semester 2015. The newly endowed scholarships are:

The Francis Alan “Pete” Russ Greatest Need Endowment for the benefit of Management
The Francis Alan “Pete” Russ Management Scholarship
Hazel Kriegbaum Russ Greatest Need Endowment for the benefit of Nursing
Hazel Kriegbaum Russ Nursing Scholarship
Charliss Russ Greatest Need Endowment for the benefit of Marketing and Advertising
Charliss Russ Marketing and Advertising Scholarship

“Before she passed away, I talked it over with mom, and she was so pleased,” said Russ. “I knew I had made the right decision to honor my parents with a variety of scholarships, each reflecting their lives and their passion.” Find��information about . More about the Russ family Francis Alan (Pete) Russ Feb. 4, 1925 – Jan. 7, 2013 Francis Alan (Pete) Russ dropped out of high school to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II. His ship, the USS Goss, was a member of the fleet in Tokyo Bay when Japan surrendered to General Douglas MacArthur. After completing his military service, Russ earned his GED and began his vocation as a sheet metal worker. On Dec. 8, 1951, he married Hazel Louise Kriegbaum, and in 1954, they purchased a home on the southeast corner of 29th and Taylor streets (when Taylor Street was the western boundary of the Little Rock city limits). There they raised their two children, Charliss Marie Russ and Louis Alan Russ. He retired from Alcoa after 30 years. Hazel Louise Kriegbaum Russ March 23, 1931 – Aug. 18, 2013 Hazel Louise Kriegbaum Russ was a 1948 graduate of Bryant High School and a 1951 graduate of St. Vincent Infirmary, where professors from Little Rock Junior College taught the nursing students. During her professional career, she served as an office, staff, and surgical nurse, and she retired in 1989 after 38 years of devoted service to the profession she loved. Charliss Marie Russ Dec. 9, 1952 – Charliss Marie Russ is a 1970 graduate of Little Rock Central High and, as a first-generation college student, attended ��Vlog��ýLR for a few semesters after high school. While working full-time at St. Vincent Infirmary, she returned to ��Vlog��ýLR as a part-time student to earn a bachelor of business administration degree in marketing in 1997 and an MBA degree in 2000. In addition to 25 years with St. Vincent, she has worked for Heifer International and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock employee giving breaks record in 2016

����Vlog��ýLR hosts $10 Alumni Night Aug. 27 at Dickey-Stephens Park

����Vlog��ýLR alumna elected president-elect of American Pharmacists Association

����Vlog��ýLR receives Bank of America grant for Summer Bridge Academy

Anonymous donor gifts ����Vlog��ýLR with $300,000 for student success initiatives

Elaine Eubank honored as 2016 ����Vlog��ýLR Distinguished Alumni Award winner

Paul Nolte named 2016 ����Vlog��ýLR Presidents Award winner

����Vlog��ýLR to honor Distinguished Alumni, Presidents award winners May 13