Southern LP Gas President and 1993 University of Arkansas at Little Rock graduate Julie Brown has established an endowed scholarship at the university.

The Lou Ellen Gray Endowed Scholarship will benefit students from Sevier County, Arkansas, who attend UALR. The scholarship was named in memory of Brown’s grandmother.

Giving back to her alma mater and honoring the matriarch of her family was important to Brown.

“With the creation of this scholarship, I can assist students from my hometown while supporting my alma mater and honoring a wonderful woman,” said Brown, a graduate of the UALR College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences. “This scholarship will help ease the financial burden of attending college at UALR.”

Brown’s initial gift of $25,000 will support full- or part-time undergraduate students who attended high school in Sevier County. To qualify, the students must have a minimum 2.5 overall GPA. Financial need will be a strong consideration.

The scholarship will open doors for Sevier County students, said Dr. Dean Kahler, UALR vice chancellor for enrollment management.

“We are very appreciative of Ms. Brown’s support,” Kahler said. “Perhaps as a result, a student will now be able to study abroad, join a student organization or volunteer on a community project while on campus.”

For more information on private philanthropy to UALR, contact the Office of Alumni and Development at 501.569.8429.

Pictured above: Lou Ellen Gray