Thanks to the Alumni Association for helping us identify alumni who have been on this select list. We’re also pleased that so many more who have attended or worked at UALR have been honored by Arkansas Business.

Congratulations to this year’s alumni honorees Georgia Mjartin ’02, Leo Monterrey ’02 and ’07, and Christopher Vanlandingham ’04, as well as all of our alumni who have made significant contributions to enhancing Arkansas.

Both Stodola and UALR’s Dr. Zulma Toro, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, said at Thursday’s press conference that citizens could no longer ignore the business impact of immigrants.

Thursday’s press conference also highlighted new polling data showing Americans’ significant support for immigration reform. Toros said passage of immigration reform measures makes economic sense and is aligned with the goals of President Barack Obama and Gov. Mike Beebe to significantly increase the proportion of Hispanics and Latinos with high-quality degrees and credentials by 2025.

Toro, whose background is in engineering, said the U.S. was falling behind in number of engineering degrees being granted compared to other countries such as China and India.

“This poses a real threat to our competitive advantage in today’s global economy,” she said.

And although U.S. universities are considered “the best in the world” – partly due to the talent and diverse perspectives of faculty and staff – a new pool of equally talented and diverse persons will be needed to replace faculty and staff retirees in order for the U.S. to maintain its position in the world, said Toro.

Provost Toro, who came to the U.S. from Puerto Rico after earning a bachelor’s degree, said the issue was “very dear” to her on many levels.

Before coming to UALR, she was dean of the College of Engineering at Wichita State University and became the first woman and first Hispanic administrator to head the college. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Michigan and a doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Mayor Stodola, co-chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Comprehensive Immigration Reform, used data from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation to support reform as sound fiscal policy for the city, as well as the state and nation.

He said the 2010 Foundation report showed the total economic impact of the remaining immigrant consumer spending on the Arkansas economy was $3.9 billion.

The economic impact was heavily concentrated in Little Rock (Pulaski County) and Northwest Arkansas (Benton,Washington, and Sebastian counties), but six other counties (Saline, Faulkner, Garland, Craighead, Lonoke, and Pope) also had immigrant populations with at least $65 million in consumer buying power, according to the report.

The economic contribution of immigrants is expected to grow as immigrants and their children increase their share of the state’s total population and workforce.

Subtracting the cost of essential services ($555 million) from immigrants’ combined consumer expenditures and tax contributions ($3.9 billion) yielded a net economic benefit to the state of $3.4 billion in 2010, according to the Rockefeller Foundation.

“It makes no sense to stand still,” Stodola said. “There’s not ever going to be a perfect system. This needs to be an opportunity to come together.”

“All my teachers sent letters to my parents about how I was very intelligent, but also very lazy,” Alvarez acknowledged. Higher education was something he readily admits lacking the motivation to pursue.

One day in February 2012 changed his entire outlook.

Alvarez was driving a truck on his way to work, when he swerved to avoid hitting a dog in the middle of a curved road. The sudden motion unbalanced the vehicle, causing it to flip and roll over into a nearby ditch.

Although Alvarez walked away without a scratch, later, as he looked at pictures of the demolished vehicle, he realized how close his brush with death was. Soon afterward, he was listening to the radio when an old commencement speech given by Steve Jobs was replayed.

“I remember one part of his speech so clearly,” Alvarez said.

“Remembering you are going to die is the best way to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

With only a hundred dollars in his pocket, Alvarez followed his heart and moved to Little Rock. He enrolled in classes at UALR in July 2012 to pursue his dream of becoming a mechanical engineer.

However, the year was very challenging, not just academically, but economically as well. For Alvarez, his first year meant surviving by taking out loans, in addition to accepting the small grant he received and work at a part time job to offset his living expenses.

As a Hispanic student, Alvarez is among America’s largest ethnic minority and the fastest-growing demographic of the young work force, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But statistics also reveal discrepancies in Hispanic educational levels are compared with other groups.

One challenge is that Hispanic families often lack experience with financial-aid processes and scholarship availability, according to Cynda Alexander, non-traditional student program coordinator at UALR.

“Our office strives to demystify these processes and provide our diverse student population with the information they need to make college accessible,” she said.

Alexander said breaking the cycle of under-education among Hispanic and Latino populations is possible when they are given the facts about the numerous scholarship opportunities available.

“Studies have shown scholarship recipients go on to graduate. Finding funding plays a huge role in helping them persist,” said Alexander. “Students are able to focus more on academics instead of providing financial support for themselves or their families.”

Alvarez, now on the Dean’s list with a 3.7 GPA, said even though he is a dedicated student, he doesn’t like the idea of owing lots of money.

So he attended an on-campus scholarship workshop offered by the UALR Office of Campus Life specifically geared toward non-traditional students.

The workshop was presented by Alexander, as well as alumni membership coordinator Derek Boyce and private scholarship coordinator Stephanie Conrad.

Alvarez learned the variety of scholarships available, some of them exclusively for Hispanic students. He immediately applied for several and even won a couple, among them a $1,000 scholarship from LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), which offers the possibility of a match from UALR.

And in February, Caterpillar Inc., a leading builder of machines and engines, accepted Alvarez for a Quality Engineer internship. Not only is Alvarez getting paid, he is learning in a real-world environment how to apply the theories he is studying in school.

“I am still amazed at how fast everything is happening,” said Alvarez. “That in just nine months of truly applying myself how much I have accomplished.”

Alvarez said his success so far has only fueled his hunger to try to attain more.

“I have always loved trying new things. Because of that, I have failed a lot,” he said. “But it has also made me lose the fear of failing and gain a healthy fear of not even trying.”

For more information on scholarship opportunities for non-traditional students, contact Cynda Alexander at 501.569.3308.

Byrne, interim dean for UALR’s College of Professional Studies, joins radio
personality Tommy Smith, First Lady Ginger Beebe, and several others who will also be honored during The Summer in the City Gala.

Trio’s restaurant will cater the New Orleans-themed event, which will include silent and live auctions.

The American Cancer Society holds the annual event to honor individuals who are celebrating survival, remembering loved ones lost to cancer, and fighting back against the disease. Each honoree embraces the American Cancer Society’s mission and acts as an advocate for cancer awareness, prevention, and research.

Byrne has been an American Cancer Society volunteer on the local, state, division, national, and international levels for about 15 years. Her other honors include the Pennsylvania State Volunteer of the Year award, as well as the Lancaster County Volunteer of the Year Award.

She is currently serving on the Central Arkansas American Cancer Society community leadership council and is a frequent speaker and trainer at American Cancer Society events. Byrne was the lead national Relay For Life volunteer for the ACS for three years and has performed international Relay For Life training for seven different countries.

Byrne’s late husband, Chuck, was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer when he was only 46 years old and given just 18 months to live. After surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, he lived three and half more years.

During the experience, Byrne said she learned more about the American Cancer Society’s work to find cures. She said even though organizations like the ACS makes a real difference in the fight against cancer, “we need to keep fighting.”

Tickets for the June 22 event are $100 per person or $1,500 for a table of eight. To purchase tickets or get more information, call 501.603.5215.

The four-person scramble seeks to raise funds for a permanent endowment to support College of Business programs for students, including professional development workshops, placement activities, and student competitions such as the Microsoft Imagine Cup and the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Business Plan.

The George W. Donaghey Foundation has provided a $500,000 challenge matching gift. The registration, which is already full, costs $1,200 per team or $300 per player.

“We are delighted to have so many sponsors and participants this year and also excited that our program will better serve our students by expanding the supporting activities available,” said Dr. Jane Wayland, Stephen Harrow Smith Dean of Business.

Sponsors for the tournament include: Ameriprise, AR Mutual, Arvest Bank, Arvest Mortgage, Bank of America, BBA Solutions, Clark Contractors, Clark Power, Dassault Falcon, Datamax/Flake Kelley, Dixon Golf, Dillard’s Inc., Entergy, Fidelity, Kutak Rock, Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, LSC Promotional Marketing, Matlock & Associates, PDC Companies, Riser Ford Lincoln, Southwest Power Pool, Summit Bank, The Daily Record, UALR IEA/COB, UALR COB Alumni Association Society, UALR Office of Development, USAble Life, Vestcom, Welspun, and Wonderstate Mortgage.

Koon graduated from UALR with a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication and a minor in information technology.

While at UALR, he was the primary tutor for the engineering technology department and twice participated in the university’s annual Undergraduate Research Expo.

A founder of the Little Rock PHP Users Group, Koon received Above Mastery recognition from the UALR Information Technology program.

Koon brings several years of programming experience to his role at UALR, including proficiency in XHTML/HTML5, CSS 2.1/3, Responsive Web Design, Java Script, object oriented programming, and XML.

He previously worked for the Fleming Companies, where he was the information technology administrator and performed research and development for new business software.

“It’s never too early to start thinking about your final project,” Associate Director Dr. Marcia Smith tells them. “It is a requirement of the program in order to graduate.”

The scholars – who come from across Arkansas, as well as Texas, Kansas, and even Germany – ask questions about core course requirements and study abroad opportunities, but mostly, they just listen.

Approximately 350 graduates of the program have gone on to notch successful careers and opportunities across the globe.

The program, open to all majors, offers a distinctive undergraduate environment that emphasizes critical thinking through the reading of primary texts, writing, and discussion.

For the first time, UALR is offering this newest cadre of 25 scholars an overnight stay as part of their orientation in order to allow time with older, more experienced scholars and a more immersive campus experience.

Their orientation comes on the heels of the program’s Silver Jubilee celebration on June 1 at the Jack Stephens Center. June marks the 25th anniversary of the first graduating class of the program, as well as 25 years of Donaghey Foundation support.

About 170 people attended the celebration, including close to 100 former Donaghey Scholars, which was also a kickoff fundraiser to establish the C. Earl Ramsey Distinguished Lecture Series. Ramsey has served as the program’s director for 25 years and will retire in December.

About $14,000 was raised at the event and even more donations are flowing in for the campaign that ends Dec. 31, according to Howard Walker, major gifts officer in the UALR Office of Development.

Dr. Jessica Scott, Donaghey Scholar program administrator, said the event marked the first time UALR formally sponsored a reunion of scholar alums, although many informal get-togethers have occurred throughout the years.

“We are incredibly pleased with the turnout,” Scott said. “The response has been very positive and enthusiastic, so far. Our scholars clearly want to be involved with the program and UALR.”

Among them is Joy Matlock, legal services liaison at Heifer International in Little Rock. Matlock not only made the Silver Jubilee, she also served as a host committee member responsible for encouraging other Class of 1996 scholars to attend.

During the reunion, Matlock personally thanked one of the program’s first administrators, Emily Lewis, who planted in Matlock the idea to apply as a Donaghey Scholar during a visit to her high school honors English class. The double major in international studies and Spanish said UALR was not even on her radar at the time. Matlock remembers vividly getting the phone call to interview for a spot in the program and then having to explain to a committee what it meant to be a “scholar.”

“I remember saying it was someone with a thirst for knowledge, but who also deeply felt that for everything he or she knows and learns, there is still so much more to know and learn,” she said.

“It was, and still is, about making a connection to knowledge and personal growth and how you relate it to the people around you and society as a whole … you only grow when you keep moving forward.”

Matlock said she received a phone call from Ramsey welcoming her to the program. The money she received as a scholar enabled Matlock to immerse herself in a study abroad program in Spain for five weeks one summer and also to graduate from UALR without debt.

It also endowed her with the intensive level of reading, writing, and critical thinking skills later required of her at the law school at Washington University in St. Louis.

Matlock said the jubilee was a wonderful time to honor Ramsey as well as reflect on the program itself.

“You sometimes forget what is great about it. Back then, I could not see the bigger picture, but now I see what they were trying to accomplish, and it was stellar. I am eternally grateful,” Matlock said.

“It is a hidden jewel on our campus and a wonderful resource to allow UALR to be a contender for certain students.”

That’s according to Vernard Henley, director of recruitment and outreach for UALR’s George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT).

Henley hopes to mollify this situation by offering UALR’s first ever “Geek Speak” event on Wednesday, June 19, in the EIT Auditorium.

The event features Darryl Baynes, co-founder and president of the Minority Aviation Education Association’s Interactive Science Programs, which specializes in hands-on demonstrations to capture students’ attention and encourage science careers.

Two programs will be offered. A session for fifth through eighth grades will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and sixth through 12th grades from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. UALR is also sponsoring Baynes’ presentation at 8 a.m. at Wakefield Elementary School.

Baynes, an African-American and former pilot, has been featured on CNN, BET News, and Tech Talk TV. He has made a career out of showing the fun side of science through such techniques as freezing balloons and marshmallows to demonstrate the chemical properties of liquid nitrogen.

“We are inviting underrepresented student groups to campus to learn how exciting science can be from someone who looks like them,” said Henley. He added that he hopes the event exposes UALR to nearby neighborhoods and gets the surrounding community involved and invested in their university.

All Geek Speak events are free and open to the public, although seating has been reserved for about 75 children enrolled in local youth and summer programs.

Funding is made possible by private donations and the EIT. For more information or to RSVP, email vwhenley@ualr.edu or call 501.569.8203.