Jessie Burchfield is Emeritus Professor of Law at the UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law. Jessie retired in December 2024 after 30+ years as a faculty member, the last ten as Associate Dean for Library and Information Services. Jessie is also a licensed attorney in Arkansas. Jessie was the first non-traditional student in the Donaghey Scholars Program, entering as a freshman at age 20. She graduated magna cum laude from UA Little Rock with a B.A. in English in 1989. She worked full time while pursuing her graduate education, receiving a Master’s of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University in 1996, and graduating from Bowen with high honors in 2005. Jessie serves on the Donaghey Scholars Alumni Board and the Jennifer Carson Scholarship Committee.
Stephanie Caruthers began her career at Trio’s Restaurant in 1987 while still a student in the Donaghey Scholars Program. She received her BA in International Relations and French in 1990. A management opportunity arose after graduation, and the rest is Trio’s Restaurant history. Managing the day-to-day operations of restaurant customer service, private dining & catering, and maintaining & updating restaurant technology keeps her on her toes. Stephanie is a current member of the UA Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors and serves as Co-Chair of Taste of Little Rock, the Alumni Association’s premier scholarship fundraiser. She is also a member of the Donaghey Scholars Program Alumni Board.
Sarah M. Giammo is a partner in the Public Finance Practice Group at Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP. Ms. Giammo attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (B.A. in political science and Spanish, summa cum laude, 2011; Master’s in public administration, 2018) and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2018). Ms. Giammo focuses her practice on public financings, including bonds sold by underwriters, bonds placed with governmental agencies and local banks, and bonds offered in public sales. Ms. Giammo serves on the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law Young Alumni Board, and the UA Little Rock Donaghey Scholars Program Alumni Board. She is a member of the Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XL. Ms. Giammo is also a wife and a mom to two little girls.
Grace Cayley Griffiths is the administrative analyst for the Research Division at the Arkansas Game & Fish Commision (AGFC). In 2015, Grace Cayley earned a BS in Biology and a BA in German Studies at UALR as a Donaghey Scholar. She got her MS in Biological Sciences from Northern Arizona University in 2019, studying acoustic communication in grasshopper mice (genus Onychomys). After graduate school, she worked at the Museum of Discovery in downtown Little Rock as an educator, animal care technician, and Girls in STEM coordinator. She recently started her career at AGFC out of a desire to return to the wildlife research and conservation field. In addition to managing finances and contracts for the Research Division, Grace Cayley oversees the Central Arkansas Urban Wildlife Project in collaboration with Hendrix College. She serves on the Donaghey Scholars Program Alumni Board and as Treasurer of the Arkansas Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
Lenka Horakova moved from Czechia to Arkansas through the Donaghey Scholars Program. She earned degrees in international business and finance from UALR in 2003, followed by an MBA in 2005. Lenka spent a decade at the Arkansas Department of Commerce as Business Director for Europe. Later, she worked as a trade consultant and became the first female Chair of the Arkansas District Export Council (2018–2019). Since 2014, she has served as Arkansas’s first Czech Honorary Consul, strengthening ties between her home country and state. An active community leader, Lenka serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Foundation Fund Board, the Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum (vice chair), the Rotary Club, the Aesthetic Club, and the Little Rock Sister Cities Commission (past vice chair). She speaks Czech and English fluently, along with some German and a bit of Russian.
Gary D. Marts, Jr. is a partner at Wright, Lindsey & Jennings LLP in Little Rock, where he has practiced since 2004. Gary’s practice focuses on complex litigation, particularly appellate work. In that role, he has handled more than 100 appeals in state and federal courts spanning a wide range of substantive areas of the law. He has a bachelor’s degree in English (1999, summa cum laude) and a law degree (2004, with honors), both from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Gary serves as one of two alumni representatives on the policy council for the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program.
Kathleen McDonald is the Regulatory and Compliance Officer of Aristotle Unified Communications Inc. Prior to re-joining the Aristotle team in late 2020, Kathleen represented individuals and businesses in immigration matters. She is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with bachelor’s degrees in International Studies and French and a member of its Donaghey Scholars Program Alumni Board. After receiving a J.D. from UA Little Rock’s Bowen School of Law, Kathleen served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for several years. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Bar Association and a member of the Friends of Little Rock Public Radio Board.
Tristyn Perrin is currently a pharmacy technician at Pinnacle Pointe Hospital. In 2024, Tristyn earned a BA in Applied Communication and a technical certificate in graphic design. This fall, she will be attending the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to obtain her Master’s in Health Administration. During her time at UAMS, she will also be working at Baptist Health as a Patient Safety Analyst. She is excited to begin this new chapter in her career, and hopes to focus on improving patient safety measures in the state of Arkansas.
Kristi Smith serves as Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Development at UA Little Rock, and oversees alumni relations, annual giving, planned giving, and corporate and foundation relations. Prior to working in development, Kristi had a successful career with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, where she was named to the Circle of Excellence for stellar sales performance. She is grateful to the Donaghey Scholars Program for the love of writing and travel, having studied in Strasbourg, France, and the outstanding coursework throughout her studies. Kristi has a bachelor of arts degree in international studies as well as a master’s degree in public administration.
Melody Sugg serves as VP of Philanthropy for the National Eczema Association. Her career has spanned leadership roles with City Year, the American Diabetes Association in Little Rock and Austin, the Arkansas Museum of Discovery and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Melody is the current VP, Education, and Past President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, which recognized her as the Outstanding Fundraising Professional in 2023. Melody earned a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Donaghey Scholars Program (1995) and a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School (2002).