The university recognized Oscar Horton and Bill Mathis, Jr. as the winners of the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award as well as Stephanie Caruthers and Nancy Secen as the winners of the Presidents Award. The ceremony also honored Ahad Nadeem, a spring graduate who was named the winner of the 2023 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award, which honors the top graduating senior of the year.

“The achievements of Distinguished Alumnus and Presidents Award winners are a testament to the transformative power of education and the unwavering dedication that defines our outstanding alumni,鈥� said Kristi Smith, associate vice chancellor for alumni and development. 鈥淓ach of our amazing award winners has not only excelled in their respective fields but also epitomized the values and excellence that 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock stands for by serving as pillars in the community. They inspire us all to aim higher, give back, and continue the legacy of shaping a better world.”

The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Association annually awards the Distinguished Alumnus Award to a Little Rock Junior College, Little Rock University, or 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock alumnus. The award is reserved for individuals who have achieved extraordinary distinction in their chosen field and made special contributions to the community.

The Presidents Award was established to recognize 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock graduates who achieved success in their career, donated time and talents to their community, and remained in touch with their alma mater as a volunteer and resource person.

More information about the honorees:

Oscar Horton serves as chairman and CEO of Horton Holdings, LLC, which owns and manages the operations of its subsidiaries Sun State International, Sun State Real Estate, and the Horton family office. He is a member of the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame and was most recently named one of Tampa Bay鈥檚 Top 100 Most Powerful Business Leaders.

Horton credited 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock with helping him build confidence, giving him a great education, and teaching him the business of perseverance.

鈥淚 learned the importance of looking someone in the eye when you talk to them, giving a firm handshake, and that charisma is probably the biggest thing you can have in the business world,鈥� Horton said. 鈥淭hey also taught me a good dose of common sense.鈥�

After graduating from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Horton began his career as a sales representative for the International Truck & Engine鈥檚 financial corporation. He served as vice president and general manager of the company鈥檚 Foundry Business, a multi-million-dollar business with approximately 1,500 employees.

After an illustrious 25-year career with International Truck & Engine Corporation, he left to become president and CEO of Sun State International. During his presidency, the company increased its revenue seven-fold and improved its profitability, employee morale, and customer satisfaction. This turn-around helped Sun State secure the 2020 Dealer of the Year Award from the American Truck Dealers.

Bill Mathis, Jr. graduated from Horace Mann High School and earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. One of his fondest memories was his psychology professor and mentor Dr. Louis Woods.

鈥淚 learned from Dr. Louis Woods, and he told me to seek excellence in everything that I do,鈥� Mathis said. 鈥淗e taught psychology with a statistical perspective that I have used throughout my career. Because of the education I received here, I was able to retire at the age of 60. My wife Lisa and I have established a scholarship fund here at 糖心Vlog传媒LR. My family and I seek excellence in everything we do, and we encourage everyone to do the same.鈥�

Mathis has more than 25 years of executive experience in business development and sales management in the financial services industry, with a demonstrated track record in building and leading high-performance teams. He retired in 2009 as executive vice president of MasterCard International, where he led a team of 150 employees responsible for delivering 60 percent of the organization鈥檚 U.S. region revenue. In 2005, Mathis was honored as MasterCard’s inaugural Coach of the Year, which signifies sales and team development leadership. Prior to joining MasterCard International, he served as senior vice president with the vendor financial services unit at GE Capital.

He has also been active in the community, serving on several boards. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Goldleaf Financial Solutions, Inc.; the Board of Directors for First Tee of Metropolitan New York; and the Junior Achievement International Board, where he sat on the Executive Committee and the Lead Brand Effectiveness Committee. Mathis previously served as co-chair of the MasterCard Diversity Committee, as well as the Political Action Committee and Pension Investment Committee.

Nancy Secen earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and graduated with honors from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Executive MBA program in 2001. She had a successful career of more than three decades working for Kimberly-Clark Corp. with positions in Conway, Maumelle, and Wisconsin.

A lifetime member of the Alumni Association, she joined the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors in 2005, jumping at the opportunity to give back to the university that gave her such a positive educational experience.

鈥淥ne of the best parts of being a board member was talking to the students who were interviewed as part of the scholarship selection process,鈥� Secen said. 鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock has many deserving students who need financial support to complete their studies. It was inspiring to meet and speak with the talented and impressive students who were working toward degrees they planned to use to improve their lives and the lives of others.鈥�

She has served on the Scholarship Committee for 15 years, serving four terms as committee chair, and has helped to strengthen and streamline the scholarship interview process. Her work on the Scholarship Committee sounded the alarm for the need for more scholarships. Her diligence laid the foundation for Taste of Little Rock, the university’s largest scholarship fundraiser now in its 18th year.

鈥淪he led the scholarship program better than anyone could have imagined,鈥� said Christian O鈥橬eal, vice chancellor for university advancement. 鈥淣ancy鈥檚 work on the scholarship committee is the absolute embodiment of what the Presidents Award recognizes. She set the course for the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Scholarship program for the past 20 years.鈥�

Stephanie Caruthers is a partner in Trio鈥檚, one of Central Arkansas鈥檚 most notable, award-winning restaurants. She joined 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 1985 and graduated with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in international studies and a minor in French. She was a member of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program, and a highlight of her college career was a 1987 summer abroad language and culture study in Strasbourg, France.

鈥淲hat an honor it is to receive this award,鈥� Caruthers said. 鈥淎s I reflect on this award, I wonder what brought me to this moment. One pivotal person that brought me here is the tenacity of Dr. Earl Ramsey (the first director of the Donaghey Scholars Honors  Program). He saw in me what I didn鈥檛 see in myself. Thank you for believing in me.鈥�

Caruthers began her career at Trio鈥檚 in 1987. She was part of a founding group of chefs and restaurateurs that spearheaded a Share Our Strength鈥檚 Taste of the Nation effort in Little Rock in the mid-1990s. The nationwide event began in the 1980s to mobilize restaurants and chefs to organize tasting events to raise awareness and funds for hunger-fighting nonprofit organizations. Share our Strength continues to fight childhood hunger with their No Kid Hungry campaign, and Trio鈥檚 continues to support their efforts through its involvement with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.

鈥淪he is so giving, so compassionate, and she鈥檚 been such a joy to work here,鈥� said Capi Peck, executive chef and owner of Trio鈥檚. 鈥淚 cannot imagine doing any of the work we do without her. I consider her not just a partner, but a friend. She loves Little Rock, and she loves the community. I hope that other 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock people follow her lead and continue to give back in the way that Stephanie has for the past 36 or so years.鈥�

This year, Caruthers began her third term on the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Board of Directors. President Heide Harrell dubbed Caruthers as the 鈥淨ueen of the Taste of Little Rock,鈥� 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 highly anticipated annual culinary and social event. Trio鈥檚 is one of the Taste of Little Rock鈥檚 original participating restaurants, and Caruthers has been involved in every event since, serving as chair/co-chair of two previous Taste of Little Rock events.

Ahad Nadeem is a May 2023 graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology and plans to become a doctor. He has demonstrated outstanding citizenship through research and activities aimed at bettering the lives of others, including working to combat child hunger and educating people about opioids.

At 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, he served as president of the Campus Garden Alliance and vice president of the Student Government Association. He worked with the SGA on campus safety and other initiatives. Passionate about science education, he served as a genetics learning assistant in the classroom. He also presented research on food insecurity and on the genetic programming of fat tissue.

The aspiring physician was also a health and wellness writer for the university鈥檚 student newspaper, The Forum, and his community service work includes volunteering at the 糖心Vlog传媒MS Winthrop Rockefeller Cancer Institutes, in 糖心Vlog传媒MS鈥檚 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and a center that supports grieving children.

鈥淚 would not have been somebody worthy of winning this award without the support and the resources that were offered to me at this university,鈥� Nadeem said. 鈥淚 found that 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is a very student-driven university, and I received so many opportunities to get involved. In my eyes, I just did very small things, and a lot of those small things added up to make changes. I think that when a lot of students do a lot of small things, it can really change the world.鈥�

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Additionally, the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law graduation ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. May 13, at the Statehouse Convention Center. U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia S. Harris will serve as the keynote speaker for the ceremony.

More than 1,200 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students are eligible to graduate and are invited to participate in the commencement ceremonies with their loved ones. More information is available by visiting .

The 9:30 a.m. ceremony will honor undergraduate students from the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics as well as undergraduate students from the College of Business, Health, and Human Services. The Jack Stephens Center will open for guests at 8 a.m. for the morning ceremony, and graduating students should arrive by 8:30 a.m.

The 2 p.m. ceremony will honor undergraduate students from the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education as well as all graduate students. The Jack Stephens Center will open for guests at 12:30 p.m. for the afternoon ceremony, and graduating students should arrive by 1 p.m.

Thomas Forcum, president of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Student Government Association, will be the featured speaker for both commencement ceremonies. Ahad Nadeem, the 2023 winner of the Edward Lynn Whitbeck Memorial Award and vice president of the SGA, will speak at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony.

Additionally, Kevin Crass, senior partner at Friday Eldredge & Clark and 糖心Vlog传媒 trustee, will deliver remarks on behalf of the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees, while Dr. Dean Kumpuris, chair, will speak on behalf of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Board of Visitors.

Back by popular demand will be celebratory photo backdrops created by Just Peachy. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock will also hold a contest for the best-decorated graduation cap.

The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock commencement ceremony will be live-streamed on the and the .

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Frank L. and Beverly Whitbeck established the top graduating senior award in memory of their son, Edward Lynn Whitbeck, who was a senior at Little Rock University, the predecessor of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, at the time of his death in 1965. Each scholar receives a personalized plaque and a monetary award.

鈥淚 feel really grateful to have won and really honored to receive such a prestigious award,鈥� Nadeem said. 鈥淚t was a surprise because I knew so many qualified students who applied. I worked hard for it, and I am glad to see that all the hard work has paid off in the end.鈥�

After graduating with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology and a chemistry minor, the award-winning member of the Donaghey Scholar Honors Program plans to spend a year working in medical research while applying for medical school to fulfill his long-held goal of becoming a doctor.

鈥淚鈥檝e known I wanted to go into medicine since high school,鈥� Nadeem said. 鈥淚 shadowed some doctors in high school, and I saw first-hand how they can help people and apply their vast medical knowledge to heal others. In college, I got more involved in different health care experiences, such as volunteering and participating in clinical research. That affirmed my desire to enter the field.鈥�

Nadeem has worked at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (糖心Vlog传媒MS) for years in their emergency department research lab, working on multiple clinical research trials on patient empathy, stress of emergency department patients, and acceptability of naloxone.

鈥淎had worked with the 糖心Vlog传媒MS Institute on Aging to coordinate a grant-funded opioid education project in the emergency department, in which over 500 patients were given health information about opioids,鈥� said Dr. Michael Wilson, director of the 糖心Vlog传媒MS Emergency Department Research Associates Program. 鈥淎had developed protocols for this project and trained all lab members, including holding monthly training sessions and lectures. Throughout this project, Ahad and the other lab members were able to help many patients acquire naloxone, a life-saving opioid overdose antidote.鈥�

In other health care-related activities, he also worked as a summer intern at Arkansas Children鈥檚 Hospital and presented his work at the 2022 Arkansas INBRE Research Conference. Additionally, Nadeem volunteers in the 糖心Vlog传媒MS Winthrop Rockefeller Cancer Institutes and in 糖心Vlog传媒MS鈥檚 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where he holds and reads to babies in NICU. He also volunteers with Kaleidoscope Grief Center, a part of Methodist Family Health, in a support group for children who have lost loved ones.

鈥淲hen I started volunteering, I had just lost my grandfather last year,鈥� Nadeem said. 鈥淚 wanted to learn how to deal with loss and help others learn as well. It鈥檚 helped me to learn to talk about people that I鈥檝e lost.鈥�

An active member of student life, Nadeem serves as vice president of the Student Government Association, a health and wellness writer for The Forum, and president of the Campus Garden Alliance. He鈥檚 also on the Donaghey Scholars Student Committee, organizing Donaghey events and interviewing new applicants for the program, and on the Academic Integrity and Grievances Committee.

Nadeem also enjoyed serving as a learning assistant for a genetic class taught by Stefanie Leacock, an instructor of biology, who feels Nadeem made a positive impact on student learning.

鈥淔or my genetics course, I use an open-access textbook I developed in LibreTexts,鈥� Leacock said. 鈥淎had himself noted that additional practice questions would be helpful to students. Ahad spent the spring semester of 2022 working on review questions for each chapter that addressed specific learning objectives. Ahad authored nearly 70 questions and question sets, which are now publicly available in the online H5P question database LibreStudio. His work benefited not only our 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock genetics students, but other students and instructors may benefit from the questions he created as well.鈥�

Nadeem鈥檚 presentation on his work to improve student learning in the genetics course earned him a first place in the 2022 Student Research and Creative Works Expo. Additionally, he earned a second first place in last year鈥檚 expo for a research project he created about food deserts in Little Rock. Nadeem developed a map of food deserts in Little Rock, marking locations of dollar, convenience, and grocery stores in the city. He later presented this research at the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance Summit, where it was shared with legislators, policy makers, and graduate students researching food insecurity in Arkansas.

With his college career wrapping up, Nadeem鈥檚 advice to new college students is to branch out of their comfort zones and try new things.

鈥淚nitially starting out, I was scared to go beyond my comfort zone,鈥� Nadeem said. 鈥淥nce I started trying new things, I realized how many opportunities are here and how many cool things you can do at this university. In order to experience them, you have to branch out and not be afraid to fail. You never know what kind of opportunities you will get in return.鈥�

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