When Dr. Mary Good receives the seventh annual Fribourgh Award on Thursday, Sept. 15, at the Pleasant Valley Country Club, she will also become the first recipient of a unique work of art designed by a local Little Rock artist and art professor. 

Michael Warrick, a University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor, created the new Fribourgh Award, given to individuals who have made considerable contributions to the state through the disciplines of mathematics and science.

Related: Dr. Mary Good to receive seventh Fribourgh Award

In the past, the Fribourgh Award committee utilized a commercial company to provide the award. This year, the committee searched for a local artist to reimagine the award.

Warrick designed six versions of the award that he presented to the committee. The choices were narrowed down to one from which a wooden model was created. In the end, Warrick utilized a basic and modern design with some interesting elements, including hammered surface texture and a gold leaf.

While the project took about six months, which is longer than he originally planned, Warrick is excited about how the award turned out.

“Whatever I can do to make a project the best possible project, I do. I think of the time spent as an investment,” he said. “There is an old Chinese proverb that inspires me. The sting of doing something badly lasts much longer than the pleasure of doing it right.”

Created in 2010, the Fribourgh Award honors the late Dr. James H. Fribourgh, UALR professor emeritus, who served the university for more than 45 years in various roles, including chair of life sciences, interim chancellor, vice chancellor for academic affairs, and distinguished professor of biology.

Good’s public service record is extensive having served in various federal, state, and local positions such as undersecretary for technology for the Technology Administration in the U.S. Department of Commerce, member of U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and chair of the Little Rock Technology Park Authority Board.

At UALR, Good served as a special adviser for economic development to former Chancellor Joel Anderson, chair of UALR’s George W. Donaghey Emerging Analytics Center Management Board, and founding dean of the UALR College of Engineering and Information Technology.

“I have admired her approach to developing the Engineering and Information Technology program,” Warrick said. “She has done a wonderful thing for the state and the university.”