Alumni Notes
2012* Weddings, Anniversaries, Births, Deaths
2011* Weddings, Anniversaries, Births, Deaths
News for 2012
Joan E. Aitken MA '71 EDD '85, Kansas City, Mo., received tenure as professor of communication arts from the Park University Board of Trustees.
Richard Balkin PHD '03 received the Counselor Vision and Innovation Award from the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision and the Best Practices Research Award from the American Counseling Association. He also was named editor of the Journal of Counseling and Development. Balkin is an associate professor at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi.
Joshua Heath Barnett PHD '07, Glendale, Ariz., was awarded the Outstanding Young Alumni Award by the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions.
Fred Bonner EDD '97 was named the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Chair in Education at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education.
Karen Menold Boston BA '93 MED '96 EDD '02, Fayetteville, was elected chairman of the board for the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce.
Rhonda Bullard MED won the "Mrs. Baird's Teachers on the Rise" award for her work at Mansfield Middle School.
Kieran Joseph Fogarty PHD' 97, Kalamazoo, Mich., was awarded the Outstanding Alumni Award in Health and Human Services by the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions.
Derlyne Gibson BA '64 MA '77 EDD '87, Berryville, illustrated the book, "Homeless Willy." It was chosen as one of the Arkansas State Library's "Arkansas Gems" for 2011.
Steven R. Hinds BSPA '89 MED '92, Fayetteville, accepted the position of executive director of public relations and marketing with the NorthWest Arkansas Community College.
Michael J. Horn MED '10, Western Grove, is a volunteer, assistant basketball coach and substitute teacher in the Ozark Mountain School District.
Laura Herzog Jacobs BA '95 MED '05, Fayetteville, is the director of communications for the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville.
Jennifer Collier Maynard MED '95, Fayetteville, is the new executive director of Life Styles Inc., a nonprofit organization serving individuals with disabilities.
Rose Mae Bogan Millikan BA '59 MED '62, Tybee Island, Ga., received the Georgia Southern University's "Patron of the Arts for 2011" award and is the longest board member of CLASS (Liberal Arts & Social Studies) at Georgia Southern University.
Nikki Ringler BSE '11 was named Allen ISD Rookie Teacher of the Year at Rountree Elementary in Allen, Texas.
Johnnie W. Robinson MED '60, Dermott, was recognized by the District 4 Order of Eastern Star, P.H.A. as the oldest member in the Electo‑Triumphant #348 Chapter.
Freddie Scott MED '80 EDD '90 retired from his position as assistant professor in the department of agricultural and extension education at the University of Arkansas.
Jessica Fay Sliger MAT '08 was awarded the Heroes de Corazon Award given in primary and secondary education. Sliger teaches at Rogers High School.
Korydon Howard Smith EDD '10, Fayetteville, published Introducing Architectural Theory, a book about the complexities of architectural theory and thinking critically.
An endowed scholarship in nursing was created in honor of the late Tonya Terry ASN '91 by her husband, Bill Smith.
Becca Wall MAT '09 was honored this spring as Teacher of the Year at the elementary level in the Lake Highlands, Texas, school district.
Jill Geisler Wheeler BSBA '04 MED '07 MS '10, Fayetteville, was awarded "Best of Region" for the presentation "Soldiers to Students," a presentation she and fellow academic counselor Jennifer Coldiron created.
Richard Dean Whittle BSE '77 MED '79 MBA '88, Springdale, joined S.F. Fiser & Co. PA of Springdale as a tax manager.
Betty Houchin Winfield BSE '59 was inducted into the University of Washington Communication Department Alumni Hall of Fame in October and received the University of Missouri Alumni Distinguished Faculty Award in November.
Marjorie Marugg-Wolfe BSHE '57 EDS '82 EDD '93, Rogers, was awarded the Outstanding Alumni Award in Education by the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions.
2011
Jack Revelle Fay BSBA '59 MED '60 PHD '76, Joplin, Mo., professor of accounting at Pittsburg State University, completed his 50th year of teaching.
David W. Elizandro III BSCHE '70 MBA'71 PHD '74, Arlington, Texas, received the 2010 Brown‑Henderson Award from Tennessee Tech University's College of Engineering, honoring outstanding performance in teaching and research or service.
Lott Rolfe IV BSE '94, Maumelle, is an alderman with the Maumelle City Council.
Tracy Lynn Reed BSE '01 MED '03, Bentonville, is a technical writer with the Benchmark Group in Rogers.
Gerald Henson BSE ’09, Bryant, was promoted to district executive of the Boy Scouts of America.
Rick J. Hinterthuer MS '72 EDD '84, Fayetteville, was named by the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education as director of aging services.
Judy Gregson Schwab MED '79, Fayetteville, was inducted into the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation Hall of Honor for her contribution to education and her success in life as a graduate of Fayetteville High School.
Gary Marshall McHenry MS '85 EDD '09, Fayetteville, is the new director of education at the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education in Springdale.
Karyn Elizabeth Walker BSE '09, Centerton, is now an early childhood special education supervisor and a member of the board for the Arkansas chapter of the National Association of Parents of Visually Impaired Children.
Melissa DeLoach Wells MED '09, Fort Worth, Texas, is an assistant director for Constituent Groups and Scholarships at the University of Texas-Arlington.
Kelvin Wyrick BSE '59, Texarkana, was chosen by the Texarkana Young Lawyers Association as attorney of the year.
Missy Alford Sanchez BA '66 MED '68, College Park, Ga., is retiring from Woodward Academy after 34 years of college counseling.
Jesse M. Rawls MED '68, Pine Bluff, is the director of Jefferson County Regional Adult Education.
Sherrill Lou Bishop BSBA '70 MED '81, Harrison, was awarded the Text and Academic Authors Association's 2011 "Texty" award for her textbook "Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 Revealed" in the Computer Science/Engineering category.
Wesley Little EDD '71, Gulf Breeze, Fla., retired as vice provost for the University of West Florida in 2008.
Jim D. Rollins MED '76 EDS '79 EDD '85, Springdale, is serving as superintendent of the Springdale School District through 2013.
Gena Staggs Runnion BA '91 MED '97, Greenville, SC, has been named as community vice president for the Junior League of Greenville's 2011‑2112 Board of Directors.
Regina R. Stewman BSE '91 MED '93 has been appointed principal of the elementary school under construction in Sonora.
Jason Jones BSE '93, Arkadelphia, has been hired as executive director of the Arkadelphia Promise Foundation.
Michael Thomas BSE ’94, Fayetteville, was named 2011 Arkansas History Teacher of the Year by the Arkansas chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. He teaches at Ramay Junior High School.
Jeffrey Christian Wasem MED '04, Rogers, was named Arkansas assistant principal of the year.
October, 2010
Mitchell A. Ober BSE '84 M.Ed. '88 was named the 2010 Outstanding Accounting Educator for two-year colleges awarded by the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants. Ober teaches at Tulsa Community College. The society will give a $750 scholarship to a Tulsa Community College student in honor of Ober.
September, 2010
Fred Bonner EDD '97 received the 2010 Extraordinary Service Award from the Texas A&M College of Education and Human Development. He is the university's associate dean of faculties.
July, 2010
Victor C.X. Wang MED '01 EDD '02 is editor-in-chief of a new journal, the International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and Technology.
June, 2010
Angie Baker MED '05 was voted by coaches across the state to be head coach of the West All-Stars in volleyball. Baker is the fourth-year volleyball coach at Huntsville.
Celeste Michaud MAT '09 was named National Teacher of the Year as part of the Troops to Teachers national program. She teaches eighth-grade science at Anderson (Mo.) Middle School. May, 2010
Trevor Francis EDD ’07 academic counselor and interim director of the advising center in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, will receive the Outstanding Advising Certificate of Merit from the National Academic Advising Association in October.
Gary Stark EDD ’06 was named president and chief executive officer of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching based in Santa Monica, Calif.
April, 2010
Richard David Abernathy BSE '87, MED '91, EDS '96, EDD '02 is the executive director of the Arkansas Association of Education Administrators.
Marvin L. Caston BA '00, MED '03 is an assistant director for the Razorback Foundation at the University of Arkansas.
J. J. Gardenhire BA '66, BSE '71, MED '76, EDS '79 is a school administrator for Greenland Public Schools.
Connie Hendrix-Kral BA '74, EDD '95, Fayetteville, is the executive director of the Peel House Foundation, which is responsible for the preservation of the 1875 Colonel Samuel W. Peel Mansion and the creation of rare perennial, native and rose gardens.
David G. Wehmeyer BSE '86, Carrollton, Texas, had his book, Just Waiting for the Bell: Stories & Adventures of an Elementary School Principal, published on Dec. 22, 2009.
Danielle Lynnette Wood BA '98, BSE '01, MED '02, EDD '09 received the Northwest Arkansas Human Resource Association's Diversity Champion award, recognizing outstanding efforts made by an individual in promoting diversity within the human resource profession.
January, 2010
Lonnie Williams BSBA '78, MED '84, EDS '91, EDD '01, associate vice chancellor for student affairs at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, was elected chairman of the Arkansas Baptist College Board of Trustees. He has served on the board since 2005. He received the Silas Hunt Legacy Award. The award recognizes African Americans for their significant contributions to the community, state and nation.
December, 2009
Martha Cornwell Haguewood BSE '75 ranked No. 13 in northwest Arkansas and No. 24 in Arkansas for closed volume as a Realtor in 2008.
James Harris BSE '00 of Eufaula, Ala., accepted a position as a teacher and coach at Eufaula High School.
Jeff Hood EDD’07 of Fayetteville was selected by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce to be a member of the 23rd Leadership Class.
James E. "Jim" Lindsey BSE '68 was chosen for induction into the 2010 Business Hall of Fame by the Sam M. Walton College of Business.
Kari Dean McReynolds MED ’09 of Siloam Springs graduated magna cum laude.
Michael Shane Upchurch BSE ’07 MAT ’08 of Rogers is a third-grade teacher at Cooper Elementary School in Bella Vista.
Jesse W. White BSE '86, MED '88, EDS '95 of Hampton, Va., received the 2009 Virginia Technology Education Supervisor of the Year award and the 2009 Leadership Award for service to the Virginia Technology Education Association.
Dr. Chunxue Wang MED ’00 EDD ’02 of Long Beach, Calif., was honored as a recipient of this year’s Distinguished Faculty Scholarly and Creative Achievement Award at California State University for sustained excellence in scholarly and creative achievement.
Kelvin Wyrick BSE '59 of Eugene, Ore., was cited in the science background materials for the Nobel Prize in Physics won by Charles K. Kao.
October, 2009
First Woman to Earn Doctorate Dies at 91
Wanda Walker Smith, the first woman to receive a doctoral degree from the University of Arkansas, died July 8, 2009, in Maryville, Mo. She was 91. Continue reading
1950s
Betty Houchin Winfield BSE '59, Columbia, Mo., published the book Journalism – 1908: Birth of a Profession.
1960s
Virginia Anne Allen BSE '62, MED '67, ESD '83, Little Rock, is the gubernatorial appointee for the Arkansas Division of Volunteerism, Governor's Advisory Council.
Tommy Brasher BSE '65, Newtown Square, Pa., was inducted into the University of Arkansas' Hall of Honor.
Lawrence Davis MED '60, Pine Bluff, is on the board of the Arkansas Research Alliance.
Vicki S. White Miltun BSE '69, Seattle, Wash., was named the 2008 National High School Music Teacher of the Year by the National Federation of High Schools.
1970s
Joyce Bradley Babin BSE '76, Little Rock, received the Golden Gavel Award from the Arkansas Bar Association.
John L. Colbert BSE '76, MED '81 of Fayetteville was named to the Arkansas Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Judy A. Dees BSE '71, Branson, Mo., wrote the book Verses From Above: Praise the Lord – On Man and Nature – Garden of Abuse.
Jane Dickey BSE '71, Little Rock, has been included in the 2008 Super Lawyers, Mid-South Edition.
Delmar D. Ferrell MED '70, West Fork, joined The Bank of Fayetteville's Washington County Advisory Board.
Rick McWhorter BSE '76, MED '77, Fayetteville, is director of parks and recreation for the city of Springdale.
Bobby New EDS '79, MED '81, retired superintendent of the Fayetteville School District, was honored at the annual Celebration of Excellence banquet hosted by the Fayetteville Public Education Foundation Inc.
Jim Rollins MED '76, EDS, '79, EDD '85, Springdale, was honored at the 2009 Humanitarian Awards and Cultural Celebration hosted by HumanEQ.
Keith Vire, BSE '76, PHD '06, chief executive officer of Arkansas Support Network, was appointed to the State Rehabilitation Council.
1980s
Sherrie Bayles BSE '81, MED '82, principal of Young Elementary School in Springdale, was honored as a National Distinguished Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the U.S. Department of Education.
Helen Eaton, BSE '86, MED '98, a teacher at Holcomb Elementary School in Fayetteville, was named Arkansas English Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts.
Bob Echols BSE '88, MED '06, Fayetteville, is assistant high school principal for Farmington High School.
Glen Fenter MED '86, EDD '90, West Memphis, is one of more than 25 education leaders named to the first Education Council.
Sharon Gunter BSE '89, Hot Springs, was elected to the Mercy Health Foundation Board.
Sean Rochelle MED '89, EDD '99 was named associate director of the Razorback Foundation at the University of Arkansas.
Judy Simmons Henry MED '81, Conway, was inducted into the Litigation Counsel of America.
1990s
Fred Bonner EDD '97 was named associate dean of faculties at Texas A&M University. He also received the Citation of Distinguished Alumni from the Black Alumni Society at the University of Arkansas.
Diana Julian EDD '93 is serving as interim commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Education.
Bill R. Path EDD '95, Norfolk, Neb., has written Moments of Forever: Discovering The True Power and Importance of Your Life.
Diana Peer MED '90, Rudy, has been appointed to lead the Master Principal Institute of the Arkansas Leadership Academy.
Matt Saferite MED '98, principal at Ramay Junior High School in Fayetteville, was named Arkansas Secondary Principal of the Year by the Arkansas Association of Secondary School Principals.
Victor C.X. Wang MED '01 EDD '02, assistant professor at California State University, edited Handbook of Research on E-Learning Applications for Career and Technical Education: Technologies for Vocational Training published by IGI Global. Bobbie Biggs, professor of workforce development, and Jules Beck, clinical assistant professor of workforce development, contributed to the book.
2000s
Amanda Arnold BSE '02, Fayetteville, was promoted to marketing director of The Bank of Fayetteville.
Maribell Childress EDS '00, principal of Monitor Elementary School in Springdale, was named Principal of the Year by the Arkansas Association of Elementary School Principals.
Debbie Davis EDD '05 was named director of the Arkansas Leadership Academy based in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas.
Doug Hayter EDD '01, Walnut Shade, Mo., superintendent of the Branson R-IV School District, was selected by the Missouri Association of School Administrators to receive the Robert L. Pearce Award for 2009.
Shay Hopper MAT '03, Fayetteville, received the Marion Chapter for Daughters of the American Revolution's award for History Teacher of the Year.
Lisa Hotsenpiller M.Ed. '00, a business and computer teacher at Siloam Springs High School, was named SBEA Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Southern Business Education Association.
Daniel Kinney EDD '09 is president of Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge.
Lisa Mathis PHD '09 is director of adult services at the Elizabeth Richardson Center in Fayetteville.
Chelsie Shaw BSE '05 MAT '06 was named teacher of the year at Austin Middle School in Douglasville, Ga.
Ashley Striegler BSE '06, Fayetteville, received her doctor of physical therapy degree from the University of Central Arkansas.
###
