Phillips, chief marketing and communications officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will conclude her term as chair of CASE District IV later this year, a role she held from 2024 to 2026, after serving as chair-elect beginning in 2022. She will continue to serve in an advisory role as past chair. 

CASE — the Council for Advancement and Support of Education — is a global professional organization composed of colleges, universities, independent schools, and nonprofit institutions. It supports professionals in fundraising, alumni relations, communications and marketing, and provides strategy and tools to strengthen enrollment, engagement and long-term sustainability.

The end of Phillips’ formal leadership marks the culmination of a nearly 20-year volunteer journey with CASE District IV that began, she said, almost by accident.

“This was never the plan,” she said. “After getting my degree, I planned to work for a year or so at a college while the economy got better and then find something else. Instead, I found a career.”

That early work in higher education led to what she describes as a “voluntold” assignment — attending a CASE district conference that quickly pulled her into volunteer service. From there, she moved into successive cabinet and conference leadership roles, including serving as District IV conference chair in 2020.

“I left the first conference with a volunteer spot the next year. The rest, as they say, is history,” she said.

When she stepped into the chair-elect role, Phillips said District IV lacked a cohesive structure for engagement outside its annual conference. That gap became the foundation for what she considers her most significant contribution.

“Our district didn’t quite have an identity,” Phillips said. “I developed the engagement model that our district implemented. We created a plan that didn’t exist and executed it. That plan resulted in more than 1,000 engagements each year outside of the conference for our district. I’m really proud of that effort.”

Phillips said the work positioned the district for continued growth. The framework she helped design has since been adopted by all seven other CASE districts. She also shared the results with CASE trustees at a national meeting a few years ago, elevating both District IV and ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s presence in national advancement discussions.

Leading a district that spans Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, required alignment, Phillips said. Member institutions vary widely in size, mission and resources. She and the District IV cabinet worked to build a shared framework that could connect and support those institutions through intentional outreach and programming.

“We sat down as a cabinet and looked at our overall engagement goal, identified the groups we wanted to reach and developed tactics to support them,” she said. “It was a very marketing-driven approach.”

That systems-focused leadership mirrors Phillips’ work at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock, a metropolitan research institution committed to expanding access to education and preparing career-ready graduates for the regional workforce. In her role at the university, she oversees institutional marketing and communications strategy. That work shapes ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s enrollment messaging, strengthens brand positioning, and aligns the university’s storytelling across campus. Through her involvement with CASE, Phillips has connected ����Vlog��ý Little Rock with national best practices and peer institutions addressing similar priorities in enrollment, communications and institutional positioning.

“CASE is good for ����Vlog��ý Little Rock,” she said. “There are so many institutions that we can always learn something from.”

Those connections have had practical impact. Phillips said early planning for the university’s upcoming centennial celebration has been informed by conversations with CASE colleagues across the country. She also has contributed to CASE efforts to establish professional metrics for marketing and communications — standards designed to help institutions assess effectiveness and improve operations.

“Because of my involvement at the leadership level, we’ve been able to give feedback and help shape those standards,” she said. “When complete, that work will be a key tool to help units across the world assess their approach and continue improving their marketing and communications function.”

She credited ����Vlog��ý Little Rock leadership, including Chancellor Christina S. Drale and Vice Chancellor Christian O’Neal, with supporting her service and recognizing its institutional value.

“I have to begin with thank yous,” Phillips said. “Chancellor Drale and Christian O’Neal were both incredibly supportive of my CASE involvement. They saw the bigger picture of how this could help the institution.”

O’Neal said Phillips’ leadership strengthened both District IV and ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s reputation.

“Carrie’s leadership has elevated not only our work at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock, but the visibility of our institution across the CASE District IV region and beyond,” O’Neal said. “She brings a thoughtful, strategic approach to everything she does and has a unique ability to connect people and ideas in meaningful ways. Carrie has managed well at home and well at CASE. We are all better for it.”

Chancellor Drale said Phillips’ impact has been just as significant within the university.

“Carrie brings to the table a consummate professionalism that has allowed us to transform our marketing and communication division into the powerhouse it is today,” Drale said. “She has an impressive creative talent as well as sharp analytical skills. But her superpower is her ability to understand the importance of mission and purpose and translate those into strategy, structure, and messaging. And for an extra bonus, she is a delight to work with.”

For Phillips, the most lasting impact of her CASE journey is rooted in community.

“CASE friends became family,” she said. “We are better together.”

As she hands leadership to her successor, Baleigh McCoin, executive director of Advancement and Marketing at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas, Phillips is confident in the district’s continued progress. Phillips said she is especially proud that McCoin is the first leader from a two-year institution to serve in the role. 

“We’ve built the framework, and I’m excited to see her build on it and continue to refine it,” she said.

While her term comes to a close, her involvement continues, as does the work of advancing institutions such as ����Vlog��ý Little Rock through collaboration and shared purpose.

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Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective multidisciplinary collegiate honor society. Membership is by invitation only and reserved for those who have demonstrated the highest levels of academic achievement. Only the top 7.5% of juniors and seniors and the top 10% of graduate students are eligible. Each year, approximately 20,000 members are initiated across more than 300 campuses in the United States and its territories. Since its founding, more than 1.75 million scholars and professionals have joined its ranks.

“����Vlog��ý Little Rock has a fantastic student body, and Phi Kappa Phi represents the cream of the crop,” said Dr. Rex Richard Wilkins, assistant professor of Spanish and ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Phi Kappa Phi chapter president. “We are proud of our students’ achievements both inside and outside the classroom, and we want our ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Trojans to get the recognition they so fully deserve.”

����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s connection to Phi Kappa Phi runs deep. In January 1972, Arkansas’s first chapter of the honor society — Chapter 134 — was installed at the university, making it the longest-running chapter in the state. The chapter’s founding members were drawn from the Sword and Shield Society, the honors organization that preceded Phi Kappa Phi at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock. Today, the chapter boasts more than 3,900 members.

Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is about more than a credential. Eligibility is determined not only by academic record, but by professionalism, integrity, and ethical reputation. Members gain access to fellowships, grants, and awards across all fields of study, along with professional mentorship, networking opportunities through a national alumni base, and corporate partner benefits.

“Phi Kappa Phi is a way to recognize students on a national level,” said Wilkins. “To be invited to our organization is no small thing; only the most academically meritorious are invited to join. So if you get an invite from us in the future, you’d better believe it is an honor!”

����Vlog��ý Little Rock congratulates the 40 students and scholars formally inducted the following students:

• Ayorinde Alase
• Fariba Allahyoorti Dehaghi
• Sydney Ambrus
• Heaven Anderson
• Amber Lynn Anderson
• Jessica Aston
• Rebecca Bandy
• Megan Benedict
• Parikshya Bhandari
• Heather Suzanne Bridges
• Amanda Campbell Thomas
• Kaylen Coke
• Margarita Cortina
• Tiffany Davis
• Elias Aaron Dulany
• Ty Ebsen
• Madeleine Flegal
• Allie Rose Gardner
• Madeline Ginsburg
• Bobbye S Guy
• China Higginbotham
• Ragen Jane Hodge
• Jason Matthew Hobby
• Aubry Janann Hutton
• Elizabeth Carol Johnston
• Jessica Limbaugh
• Taylor Long
• Grace Marie Oakes
• Rana Olwan
• Janiya Pettus
• Michaela Reynolds
• Lila Riggs
• Brandy Rollins
• Hannah Schneider
• Vicki Renae Shadell
• Kaylee Jewel Smith
• Amy Suddeth
• Jennifer Swafford
• Darby Tanner
• Joseph Veer

Their achievement reflects not only exceptional academic performance, but the sustained dedication and character that define the Trojan spirit.

For more information about ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 134, contact Chapter President Dr. Rex Richard Wilkins at rrwilkins1@ualr.edu or Chapter President-Elect Dr. David Montague at drmontague@ualr.edu.

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Launched this week, a new mobile food market created through a partnership between the City of Little Rock, ����Vlog��ý Little Rock, and the University District Development Corporation is bringing fresh, affordable groceries to neighborhoods where access has long been limited.

“����Vlog��ý Little Rock continues to step up for the neighborhoods,” said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr.. “This is just a step in the transformation. We have a journey, but you have to start before you get there.”

The initiative reflects a coordinated push to address food insecurity, and underscores ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s role as a leader in that work.

The City of Little Rock committed $850,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act to support the effort, working alongside ����Vlog��ý Little Rock and community partners to move the project forward. The University District Development Corporation is leading implementation, operating the mobile market and coordinating outreach in neighborhoods it serves.

“This initiative reflects years of relationship-building and shared commitment,” said Barrett Allen, director of the University District Partnership. “By working together, we can bring resources directly to neighborhoods in ways that are practical and sustainable.”

For ����Vlog��ý Little Rock, the partnership is part of a broader approach to community engagement — and reflects its mission to serve as a leader in the community by actively partnering to solve real challenges facing the city.

“This is what strong partnerships look like,” said Christina S. Drale. “When we align our efforts with the city and community organizations, we can create solutions that directly improve quality of life for our neighbors.”

Additional supporters, including Edwards Food Giant, the Little Rock School District, Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, the Arkansas Community Foundation, and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, have helped expand the initiative’s reach and support its long-term sustainability.

Together, those partners are working to bring resources directly to the neighborhoods that need them the most by removing barriers that prevent residents from accessing fresh produce, dairy, meats, and other essential groceries. As the mobile market begins serving communities across Little Rock, the city and ����Vlog��ý Little Rock will continue working together to expand access to fresh food and support neighborhoods across the city. To learn more about the Mobile Market, visit .

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The Enduring Opportunity Scholarship was created to permanently sustain ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s commitment to affordability, supporting initiatives such as the Half-Off Scholarship and the Trojan Guarantee.

The effort was launched following a transformative $7.5 million gift from the Windgate Foundation. As part of that investment, Windgate challenged the university to raise $1.5 million to unlock the final $1.5 million of its commitment. By meeting that challenge, ����Vlog��ý Little Rock will transform the foundation’s original gift into a $9 million permanent source of scholarship support.

This milestone moves the university closer to ensuring that financial hardship is never the reason a student walks away from a degree.

“This investment ensures that students — not just today, but for years to come — can earn a high-quality degree without overwhelming financial burden,” said Chancellor Christina S. Drale. “That kind of stability strengthens families, communities, and our state.”

The Phase One milestone was made possible through coordinated efforts across Advancement, Enrollment, and Marketing and Communications, who worked together to engage alumni and supporters with targeted outreach and student impact stories.

With Phase One complete, the university now turns its focus to raising the remaining $1 million before the June 30, 2027 deadline, with leaders hopeful the goal can be met even earlier.

Christian O’Neal, Vice Chancellor for Advancement, said the early momentum reflects strong belief in the university’s direction and mission.

“Our donors understand that this is about long-term access,” O’Neal said. “They believe in what’s happening at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock, and they’re stepping forward to be part of it. Raising $500,000 ahead of schedule sends a clear message that we have the support and the resolve to finish this challenge.”

Phase One donors who established Enduring Opportunity Endowed Scholarships include:

• Christina S. Drale
• Mary and Sean Glancy (via J.R. Bizzell)
• The Stevens Family
• Rodney M. Abston Family
• Carol and James Hendren
• The Shuffield Family
• Dr. Eleanor Kennedy and Dr. Lee Able
• Joni and George Lee
• 35+ faculty and staff 
• Anonymous donors

Their generosity is already impacting students like Erryn Washington, a nursing student who said receiving scholarship support changed her college experience.

“When I received my scholarship, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders,” Washington said. “Before that, I worried constantly about how I was going to pay for school. Now I can focus on finishing my degree and preparing for a career in healthcare.”

Every gift to the Enduring Opportunity Scholarship helps unlock the full Windgate investment and strengthens ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s long-term commitment to keeping education within reach for students across Arkansas.

To learn more or to make a gift, visit /centennial/enduring-opportunity/

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The CORE Center was established through a $1 million grant from Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, whose support has enabled ����Vlog��ý Little Rock to expand hands-on, high-impact learning opportunities in one of the nation’s fastest-growing and most critical fields.

“Cybersecurity is one of the most pressing challenges facing industries today, and it continues to grow more complex every day,” said Chancellor Christina S. Drale. “At ����Vlog��ý Little Rock, we take seriously our responsibility to prepare students with the skills, training, and experience they need to make meaningful contributions in the workforce from day one. This investment allows us to expand access to high-quality cybersecurity education and better serve the needs of Arkansas.”

The CORE Center enhances ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s already well-regarded cybersecurity programs by providing advanced lab space, immersive training environments, and new opportunities for collaboration with government, military, and industry partners. The center is designed to support workforce-aligned education across cybersecurity, digital forensics, and emerging applications of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Philip Huff, director of the CORE Center and associate professor of computer science, said the facility significantly expands the university’s ability to deliver real-world training aligned with current workforce demands.

“Our students train in real-world scenarios using the same tools and techniques they’ll encounter in the field,” Huff said. “That level of preparation doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intentional vision, resources, and strong partnerships. The CORE Center allows us to deepen those experiences and strengthen the pipeline of highly skilled cybersecurity professionals Arkansas needs.”

����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s cybersecurity programs emphasize both academic rigor and workforce relevance, with curriculum shaped in collaboration with public-sector and private-sector partners. Students develop not only technical expertise, but also critical skills in teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, capabilities essential in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

While the CORE Center will help meet immediate workforce needs, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin emphasized its potential to extend far beyond campus and state lines.

He noted the importance of international cybersecurity and the continued expansion of cybersecurity programs positions ����Vlog��ý Little Rock to become a global leader in the field.

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “I don’t think we can fully envision what could come out of this if we lean in and understand the global reach of what’s about to be done here.”

The CORE Center will support students at multiple stages of their academic and professional journeys, including Courtney Ingram, a recent graduate of ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s undergraduate cybersecurity program and a current master’s student.

Ingram returned to college as an adult learner and was among the first graduates of the university’s undergraduate cybersecurity program. Just weeks before graduation, she began working as an information security analyst associate with Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, where she now monitors threats and supports secure operations.

“Returning to school later in life wasn’t always easy, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve made,” Ingram said. “The support I received here helped me build confidence and find a career that truly fits. Investments like this create real opportunities for students who are ready to grow, ready to work, and ready to contribute.”

����Vlog��ý Little Rock currently offers undergraduate certificates and a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, and the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees has approved a new master’s degree in cybersecurity, further expanding pathways for students to advance their education in this high-demand field.

Following the dedication ceremony, guests toured the CORE Center, met with faculty and students, and explored how the facility supports hands-on learning, applied research, and workforce preparation in cybersecurity and related disciplines.

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The Outstanding Education Partner Award is presented annually to Arkansas colleges and universities that demonstrate exceptional collaboration with ASPSF to help single parents succeed academically and professionally. ����Vlog��ý Little Rock was selected by students, donors, and volunteers from a pool of three finalists for its deep and ongoing partnership with the organization.

“The University of Arkansas at Little Rock stands out as a champion for single parent students in our state,” said Jenn Morehead, CEO of ASPSF. “The university’s understanding of the unique challenges faced by nontraditional students makes it an ideal partner for our mission. We’ve seen firsthand how their collaborative approach helps our scholarship recipients not just survive but thrive academically. Institutions like ����Vlog��ý Little Rock prove that when universities truly invest in their students’ success, entire families benefit for generations.”

A Legacy of Support for Single Parents

����Vlog��ý Little Rock has partnered with ASPSF since the 1990s, offering single parents a range of services and resources designed to remove barriers to education. As a metropolitan university, ����Vlog��ý Little Rock specializes in serving a diverse, nontraditional student body — a population that closely mirrors the students supported by ASPSF.

On campus, ASPSF recipients benefit from programs such as University Career Services and  TRIO Student Support Services and Educational Opportunity Centers, which complement ASPSF’s financial aid, workshops, and mentoring opportunities. The university has also supported ASPSF events as a sponsor and provided mentors for scholarship recipients.

The impact of that support is reflected in the stories of students like Carmen Bradford, a ����Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate and ASPSF alumna who credits the program with connecting her to professional mentors.

“He was the first one who showed me I could do this commercially and make a profit,” Bradford said of a photographer she met through the ASPSF-����Vlog��ý Little Rock partnership. Today, Carmen owns a successful marketing and photography business and manages social media for Power 92 Jams and the Broadway Joe Morning Show.

����Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty have also embraced the unique needs of single parents, often allowing students to bring their children to class to avoid childcare costs. This is a great example of the university’s commitment to flexibility and student-centered support.

In 2025, 47 single parents received ASPSF scholarships to attend ����Vlog��ý Little Rock, following 59 recipients in 2024. These students represent part of a statewide effort by ASPSF to reduce poverty and create multigenerational change. Since its founding in 1990, ASPSF has awarded more than $50 million in scholarships and provided critical support services to single parents in 69 counties across Arkansas and in Bowie County, Texas.

“We are deeply honored to receive the Outstanding Education Partner Award from the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund,” said Dr. Christina S. Drale, chancellor of ����Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Our mission is not only to educate but also to empower students to change the trajectory of their lives and their families’ futures. Single parents bring extraordinary resilience, determination, and leadership to our campus, and we are proud to stand alongside ASPSF in helping them achieve their goals.”

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