Scholarship named in teacher's honor
The family of a Craighead County teacher who died last year has created a scholarship for students at Arkansas State University's College of Agriculture and Technology.
The scholarship is named after Virginia Doris Craig, who taught for more than two decades at the Lake City/Riverside School District. She retired after teaching for four years at Ridgefield Christian School in Jonesboro, according to a news release.
She earned a specialist's degree in community college teaching with a focus on vocational education at ASU in 1988, the news release states. After she died in 2014, her family wanted to start a scholarship to honor her.
The scholarship is available to women pursuing a Master of Science in Agriculture degree with an emphasis in vocational-technical administration. The scholarship will be awarded to those who have already been admitted into the college and have finished 18 hours of coursework.
"This is the first scholarship that supports students who are pursuing an advanced degree in vocational-technical administration," Timothy Burcham, the college's dean, said in the news release. "We appreciate the Craig family's investment in the College of Agriculture and Technology."
Elliott wins term on national board
The president of North Arkansas College will serve a four-year term on the board of a national accrediting agency, according to a news release.
Jackie Elliott, in her fourth year at the helm of the Harrison-based community college, was elected to serve on the Higher Learning Commission's board of trustees starting Sept. 1. The term will expire Aug. 31, 2019.
"I am honored and humbled to have been nominated and elected by my peers in higher education to serve as a Board member," Elliott said in a news release. "I'm also grateful for the opportunity to serve my peers in a role that will allow me to influence accreditation policy and practices to ensure that students within HLC's region are receiving a quality education."
During her presidential tenure at North Arkansas College, Elliott has led the development of the 1,976-student college's strategic plan and implemented the first academic, facility and information technology master plans for the college, the news release said. Under Elliott's leadership, the college is now offering two online associate degrees and has undergone capital improvements, including a 15,000-square-foot science building, a public safety department and a greenhouse, the news release said.
HSU program adds assistant director
Henderson State University has named an assistant director for a federally funded program to help disadvantaged students.
Shanea Morrison Nelson, who was the director of student success at the Malvern-based College of the Ouachitas, will become the assistant director of the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Scholars Program at HSU's Arkadelphia campus. The McNair scholars program aims to prepare low-income, first-generation and minority-group undergraduate students for doctoral degrees, according to HSU's website.
Every year, some 25 McNair scholars teach, research or prepare for graduate studies, according to a news release. It starts with the Summer Research Internship, which provides students with research skills for a project that will continue throughout the academic year, the news release states.
Nelson has started engaging faculty in possible collaborations. She and scholar coordinator Kyle Jones will give presentations on the program to help fill the 11 remaining slots for the 2015-16 school year, the news release states.
Metro on 05/20/2015