University of Dallas
Nearly 600 University of Dallas undergraduate students were named to the spring 2020 Dean's List for earning a semester GPA of 3.5 or higher. Aong them were Mary Hudgens of Berryville and Zach Reding of Omaha.
The University of Dallas, located in Dallas, Texas, is a leading Catholic university widely recognized for academic excellence.
University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas Distinguished Professor Marlon Blackwell and his wife, Ati, both co-principals of Marlon Blackwell Architects, have pledged $120,000 to create an Advance Arkansas scholarship benefiting Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design students from the Arkansas Delta, with the hope of increasing the diversity of the architecture and design professions.
The couple's commitment also includes an annual gift, so scholarship awards can be made available starting with the 2021-22 academic year.
"I haven't traditionally seen many students from the Delta studying architecture, so Ati and I asked ourselves how we could be more proactive in developing opportunities for diverse students to come to the UA," Blackwell said. "This scholarship is about providing opportunity and possibility. Education helps break the cycle of economic inequities and expands economic opportunity, and we're hopeful that this scholarship provides an incentive for more students from the Delta to study the disciplines of architecture."
The Blackwells sponsor the annual Ernie Jacks Distinguished Lecture in the Fay Jones School and also supported the renovation and expansion of Vol Walker Hall, home to the Fay Jones School.
'We Love Teachers'
Arvest Bank has awarded 40 teachers in Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley $500 prizes as part of its "We Love Teachers" campaign. A total of 160 awards, totaling $80,000, are being given this year throughout Arvest's footprint.
The Arvest initiative to honor educators was launched on Oct. 5. Nominations were accepted via the Arvest Bank Facebook page. Some of the local winners in Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley are:
Stacey Cook, Allen Elementary School, Siloam Springs; Kelcie Madding, Gentry Intermediate School, Gentry; Brenda Foster, St. Paul High School, St. Paul; Hanna Raines, Huntsville Intermediate School, Huntsville; Kat Scantlin, Linda Childers Knapp Elementary, Springdale; Evette Bran, Sonora Elementary, Springdale; Sally Ratcliff, Monitor Elementary, Springdale; Julie Lien, Don Tyson School of Innovation, Springdale.
Sylvia Strode, Elkins Elementary, Elkins; Melissa Brooks, Farmington Middle School, Farmington; Sarah Sullivan, Root Elementary School, Fayetteville; Wendy Emery, Greenland Elementary School, Greenland; Tyler McBride, Lincoln Middle School, Lincoln; Melanie Nations, Prairie Grove Middle School, Prairie Grove.
Lisa Faulkner, West Fork Middle School, West Fork; Janelle Smith, Southwest City Elementary, Southwest City, Mo.; Jessica Newkirk, Cassville High School, Cassville, Mo.; Jill Kildow, Gravette High School, Gravette; Kristy Youngblood, Green Forest Intermediate, Green Forest; Lillian Lopez Diaz, Washington Junior High, Bentonville; Sherrin Tucker, Bentonville West High School, Bentonville.
"Arvest celebrates these teachers and is so happy to recognize them in this way," Arvest's Karen Gray said. "We hope this prize makes their jobs a little easier.
Central Methodist University
The annual GEMS of Vocal Literature recital was presented to a limited live audience and over livestream on Oct. 23.
Eleanor Hartford of Fayetteville was one of 14 Central Methodist University vocal students under the direction of Susan Quigley-Duggan and Kristin Newbegin to present a varied program of Italian, German, French, English and contemporary American songs by composers such as Handel, Mozart, Schubert, Mahler, Bizet, Rorem, Thiman and Bernstein.
Since its founding in 1854, CMU has evolved into a university that confers master's, bachelor's and associate's degrees through programming on its main campus in Fayette, Mo., and through extension sites and online.
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