SAU, ASMSA, Harding announces
graduates
MAGNOLIA —Southern Arkansas University honored 698 graduates at the Spring Commencement ceremonies held on May 5.
Students earning degrees from this area include Forrest Woods of Calion, Anna Bolding of Norphlet; Hayden White, Tyteonia Morgan, Malinda Champion of Strong; Mitchell Rowland, Miranda Bryan, Mattie Klippert, Jacob Pumphrey of Junction City; Katelyn Osborn, Keith Birchfield, Ariel Arceneaux, Haley Corley, Mary Christa Rogers of Smackover; Holly Roomsburg, Noah Moses III, Renee Langley, Emily Chambers, James Blann, Rhett Davis, Matthew Lansdell, Shelley Latimer, Tyler Steward, Garrhon Wheeler, Cole Williams, Ariel Austin, Haylee Pepper, Logan Brown, Desmond Champion, William Holt, Frederick Jackson III, Christopher Smith, Pamela Ward, Elizabeth White, Hanna Miller, Latifah Phillips, Maci Steele, Jordan Thurmon, Sadie Cothron, Alexis Moore, Sarah Bullock, Steven Anthony, Jamie Cupples, Marie McPhate, Megan Klippert, Elizabeth Antoon, Timothy Johnson and Melissa Kyle of El Dorado.
The commencement speaker for the two undergraduate ceremonies was the Honorable Leanne Johnson, a 1983 honor graduate from SAU. The graduate commencement speaker was Magnolia Public School District faculty member Larry Dunn, 2007 and 2010 SAU graduate and recipient of the Distinguished Young Alumnus award in 2016.
• • •
HOT SPRINGS — The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts celebrated commencement for the 107 members of the Class of 2017 during a ceremony May 27 at Horner Hall in the Hot Springs Convention Center.
The Class of 2017 celebrated many achievements, including eight National Merit Scholarship Finalists; two Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology Semifinalists and Regional Finalists; eight students who qualified for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, tying the record for the most qualifiers in the year, with five of the eight participants earning recognition at the competition; and more than 20 students who participated in the school’s Research in the Park program or served as volunteers for Hot Springs National Park who were recognized as a group for their work for the park with the National Park Service youth group volunteer award.
One of the most impressive achievements of the class came on the ACT test. This year’s class averaged 30.6 on the college entrance exam, the highest composite of any class in school history. Class members also received $11.2 million in scholarship offers, pushing the total of scholarship offers made to ASMSA students in the school’s 23 years to more than $215 million.
Students in the ASMSA Class of 2017 from Union County are Martin Boerwinkle of El Dorado and Daven Sipe of Smackover.
• • •
SEARCY — More than 900 students received diplomas at Harding University’s commencement exercises on May 6. Graduates from this area include Kathryn Inman, Gary Anzalone, Jessica Lange, Vicki Johnican and De’Onte Garrett of El Dorado.
Members of SAU’s PBL chapter earn 36 state
conferences awards
MAGNOLIA — Southern Arkansas University’s Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) chapter won 36 individual and team awards at the State Leadership Conference in April, with 15 members qualifying to represent SAU at the National Leadership Conference held in Anaheim, California this month.
Students from this area include Aaron Brock and Cordell McDonald of Smackover; Shelley Latimer, Thomas Quarshie, Holly Roomsburg and Cole Williams of El Dorado. Brock, McDonald, Quarshie, Roomsburg and Williams will represent SAU at the national convention.
Under the guidance of advisors Dr. Gerald Plumlee and Sheryl Edwards, 27 SAU students competed against 300 members from 14 other colleges and universities in the state of Arkansas.
This year’s trip to nationals is considerably more expensive than previous years when the chapter has driven to the host city. With the additional cost of airfare, the trip will cost $17,885. By the first week of May, the chapter had raised more than $10,000 toward its fundraising goal and an SAU Development “Ignite” campaign has been set up to collect donations at https://ignite.saumag.edu/PBL. Only a few days remain in the campaign and donations of any amount are appreciated.
“We’re very proud of our members who have worked very hard this year. Our members earned more awards and we have more members eligible for nationals than we’ve had in many years. This is evidence of our outstanding students and high quality programs in the Rankin College of Business at SAU,” Plumlee said, who was honored as the Outstanding Local Chapter Advisor at last year’s state conference.
With a successful run at state, members of the chapter are eager to attend nationals.
“I’m excited to travel to my second National Leadership Conference with PBL this summer,” McDonald said. “Anaheim is a beautiful place and I can’t wait to fly out.” McDonald placed first in the Sales Presentation event.
Each year, around 2000 members from 40 states compete against each other on a national level, attend leadership development workshops, and hear motivational keynote speakers. This year’s national theme is “A Legacy of Leadership,” marking FBLA-PBL’s 75th anniversary since the organization was founded in 1942.
Since 1974, Southern Arkansas University’s chapter of Phi Beta Lambda has earned 320 national awards.
Arkansas Tech, SAU Tech, UCA, Sewanee announce spring 2017 dean’s lists
RUSSELLVILLE — Arkansas Tech University has announced its Dean’s List for undergraduate students on the Russellville campus for the spring 2017 semester.
A student must achieve a 3.5 grade point average or higher and complete at least 12 hours of college-level coursework to be named to the Dean’s List. A total of 1,815 Arkansas Tech students achieved that distinction during spring 2017, an 8.7 percent increase over spring 2016. Included in the spring 2017 Dean’s List are 707 students who achieved a 4.0 grade point average, which is an 8.8 percent increase over spring 2016.
Local students of the spring 2017 Arkansas Tech University Dean’s List are Robin Nichole Green, Justin Scott Robison and Brooke Elaine Roden of El Dorado.
• • •
CAMDEN — Southern Arkansas University Tech has announced its chancellor’s and dean’s lists for undergraduate students for the spring 2017 semester.
Local students of the spring 2017 SAU Tech dean’s list are Thomas Taylor of Junction City; Tyler Hicks and John Page of El Dorado. Dakota Murphy and Connie Purifoy of El Dorado were named on the chancellor’s list.
• • •
CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas has announced the Presidential Scholars and Dean’s List for spring 2017 semester.
Presidential Scholar and Dean’s List honors are based on grades earned during each semester of the regular academic year. Students must achieve a 4.0 GPA with a minimum course load of 12 credit hours to qualify for recognition as a Presidential Scholar.
Recognition on the Dean’s List requires at least a 3.5 GPA with a minimum course load of 12 credit hours. A total of 1,064 students were recognized as Presidential Scholars and 1,321 were named to the Dean’s List.
Students from Union County who were named a Presidential Scholar are Justin Dino of Smackover and Aaron Gaul of El Dorado. Union County students who were named a Presidential Scholar are Logan Clark of Smackover; Marshall Coan, Jasmin Cotoco, Emily Hall, Emily Herren, Spencer Hughes, William Lewis and Daniela Rivas of El Dorado.
• • •
SEWANEE, Tenn. — Alexandria Jewel Alderson of El Dorado has been named to the Dean’s List at the University of the South for the Spring 2017 term.
To earn a place on Sewanee’s Dean’s List, a student must earn a minimum grade point average of 3.625 on a 4.0 scale. Alderson is the daughter of Kenneth S. Alderson and Alison R. Alderson of El Dorado.
SAU announces 2017-2018
scholarship
recipients
MAGNOLIA — Southern Arkansas University has announced the awarding of scholarships for the 2018-2019 academic year.
Morgan Adkins of Strong, Baylee Jerry of Norphlet, Adriana Williams of Smackover; Connor Barnett, Ali Brumley, Bryce Coke, Rebekah Dison, Madison Dixon, Holland Haney, Rachel Holt, Kelsey Howard, Quentin James, Jesus Jimenez, Alexia Lewis, Emerald Norman and Vasheeda Washington of El Dorado received the Achievement Scholarship, which includes $1,000 per semester and a four-year value of $8,000.
Dakota Sweet of Junction City; Trevor Burns, Elizabeth Harrison of Smackover; Madison Bussey, Shawn Cover, Kimberlyn Noel Harper, Magen Kooms, Steven Miller, Madeline Pope, Robert Roberson, Marco Villegas and Tyler Webb of El Dorado received the Blue and Gold Scholarship, which includes $3,300 per semester and a four-year value of $26,400.
Caylen Frick of El Dorado and Logan Vines of Junction City received the Valedictorian/Salutatorian Scholarship, which includes $3,300 per semester and a four-year value of $26,400. Alyson Frisby of El Dorado, Kaitlin Jones of Norphlet and Logan Selman of Junction City received the University Scholarship, which includes $4,500 per semester and a four-year value of $36,000.
PreAnna Williams of Strong received the Top Ten Percent Scholarship, which includes $3,300 per semester and a four-year value of $26,400.