UA Little Rock Honors Treece, Ambrus, Petray with 2026 Staff Achievement Awards
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has honored three staff members for their exceptional work in the areas of personal growth, service to the university, and community service. Nathan Treece received the Personal Growth Award, Sydney Ambrus received the Ben Fry Service to UA Little Rock Award, and Ronda Petray received the Community Service Award.
Established in 1989, the Staff Senate Achievement Awards recognize employees who have brought distinction to UA Little Rock through personal achievement, service to the university, and service to the community. The awards are presented annually during the Staff Senate Awards Ceremony, which celebrates staff contributions and recognizes employees for their impact on the university and the broader community.
Learn more about each award and its recipient below.
Personal Growth Award
Nathan Treece, reporter and local host for Little Rock Public Radio, has received the Personal Growth Award. It recognizes an individual whose scholarship, research, or creative talent has been particularly outstanding.
“I would like to thank everyone at Little Rock Public Radio for considering me for this honor,” Treece said. “I couldn’t imagine a better group of people to work with. The team is so supportive of one another and works hard to bring critical information and educational programming to Arkansas’ airwaves every day.”
Treece earned a Bachelor of Arts in mass communications with honors from UA Little Rock in 2017. He previously worked as a public information officer for the Arkansas Division of Heritage and spent four years in television news as a producer for KARK and KLRT. In his current role, he serves as a reporter and host of NPR’s Morning Edition for Little Rock Public Radio.
Ben Fry Service to UA Little Rock Award
Sydney Ambrus, social media coordinator and videographer in the Office of Communications and Marketing, has received the Ben Fry Service to UA Little Rock Award. It recognizes an individual who is distinctive in service through committees, special events, implementation of creative ideas, or support and encouragement of others.
“It is truly an honor to receive the Ben Fry Service Award. I love being out on campus, volunteering and collaborating with different committees and departments, and connecting with so many people across the university. I am incredibly grateful to be part of the UA Little Rock community,” Ambrus said.
Ambrus produces digital content that highlights university initiatives, student success, and campus life. She plays a key role in leading the university’s Maroon Monday campaign, a social media initiative that encourages students, faculty, and staff to wear maroon in support of the Trojans and helps build school spirit across campus.
Community Service Award
Ronda Petray, a program coordinator in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, has received the Community Service Award. It recognizes an individual who has been particularly successful in organizing community events or has had major achievements in civic, service, or specialty organizations.
“It’s obviously very exciting to win a monetary award and to be recognized for continued support and contributions to my department, to my college, and to the university as a whole — there’s no way I could have gotten anywhere near as far if I didn’t have my core support team around me,” Portray said. “Everyone I work with contributes to my daily successes. I couldn’t do anything without them all!”
Petray supports student success initiatives and academic programs and is actively involved in student engagement efforts on campus, including her work with student organizations such as the Math Club.
For more information about the UA Little Rock Staff Senate, visit ualr.edu/staffsenate.