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Tech ActionS p r i n g 2 0 1 3
Col. Carl Baswell inducted into Hall of Distinction. See pages 4-5.
Ben Rothwell, Terry Rothwell, Jim Murphy join Hall of Distinction.See pages 4-9.
Director of Alumni Relations & Tech Loyalty Fund Kelly DavisCoordinator of Young Alumni &Student philanthropy Alison Parks TaylorCoordinator of Alumni Communications& Activities Aaron JonesAlumni Office Administrative Assistant Terry Holland-Finley
Tech Action is published quarterly by the Arkansas Tech Alumni Association, 1313 N. Arkansas Ave., Russellville, AR 72801. It is sent to alumni, parents, friends and faculty/staff of Arkansas Tech University. We welcome manuscripts and photographs from our readers. Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you would like your originals returned. Parents, if your son or daughter attended Tech and is no longer living at this address, please notify our office of his or her new address. Address updates can be submitted to the Arkansas Tech Office of Alumni Services by calling (479) 968-0242 or by sending e-mail to [email protected].
Cover Photograph Steve NewbyContributing Photographers Liz Chrisman, Steve Newby, Tim CarrE-mail address [email protected] site www.techties.atu.edu
Editorial Committee Kelly Davis, Jayne Jones, Julie Nebben Morgan, Susie Nicholson, Sam Strasnerpublications/creative Services Felisha WeaverDirector of New Media Carrie Harris Phillips
Katherine Nunn Bowden ‘54 12/13
Sue Chiolino ‘68 12/13
Brenda Metcalf Hipp ‘63 12/13
Steve Kesner ‘77 12/13
Tayler Melton ‘10 12/13
Todd Sweeden ‘76 12/13
President: Jim White ‘78 President-Elect: Todd Sweeden ‘76
Jim White ‘78 12/13
Vickie Yates ’79 & ‘89 12/13
Jim Higgs ‘73 12/14
Truman Hill ‘70 12/14
Sarah Beth Phillips ‘06 12/14
Joshua Ray ‘06 12/14
Sandy Smith ‘86 12/14
Matthew White ‘06 12/14
Cara Hammond Witherspoon ‘78 12/14
Jared Wood ‘97 12/14
Leila Bean Alston ‘77 12/15
Susan McIntyre Dunn ‘83 12/15
Cody Hill ‘07 12/15
Sherry Nordin Polsgrove ‘81 12/15
Dustin Parsons ‘10 12/15
Justin Price ‘01 12/15
Melissa Owens Steeves ‘07 12/15
Kendall Tabor ‘89 & ‘92 12/15
Jimmy Rofkahr, Ozark Campus Rep.
Tech Action, Volume 49, No. 2. Arkansas Tech University Alumni Association, Alumni House, Russellville, AR 72801
Alumni Association Board of Directorstech
Tech Action
Hall of Distinction inductees set exampleThis issue of Tech Action includes the stories of our three
2013 inductees into the Arkansas Tech University Hall of
Distinction — Jim Murphy, Ben Rothwell and Terry Rothwell.
Each of them was born outside the state of Arkansas
and found a new home as part of the Arkansas Tech Family.
The three inductees utilized the skills and leadership
abilities they honed at Arkansas Tech to go forth and
prosper in their chosen career. Each of them has a passion
for their alma mater and a strong belief in its mission.
The Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction recognizes the
achievement and contributions of outstanding alumni and
individuals closely associated with the university.
That has always been and will always be the focal point
of the Hall of Distinction. However, in recent years the
Hall of Distinction induction ceremonies have brought an
added benefit.
Since 2006, Arkansas Tech has recognized its Hall of
Distinction inductees at spring commencement.
The opportunity for our graduates to be in the presence
of and hear the life stories about our Hall of Distinction
inductees is an inspirational testimony to a fact that has
been proven time and time again — any dream is possible
with an Arkansas Tech education.
You might know an individual who deserves to be
nominated for the Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction.
Nominations for the Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction
may be made by any graduate of Arkansas Tech, any
current or former member of the faculty or administration
of Tech, any currently enrolled full-time student at Tech
or any member of the Hall of Distinction. Nominations
may not be made by a family member of the nominee.
No incumbent member of the Arkansas Tech Board of
Trustees, faculty, staff or administration is eligible for
nomination for any category of the Hall of Distinction.
For more information about nominating an individual
for the Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction, call
(479) 968-0242 or send e-mail to [email protected].
Congratulations to Mr. Murphy, Mr. Rothwell and Mrs.
Rothwell, and thank you for allowing us to tell your stories.
May your example of pride in Arkansas Tech inspire others
and help ensure the continued prosperity of our university.
Kelly Davis ‘81
Director of Alumni Relations and the Tech Loyalty Fund
2 Tech Action
catch up with an old friend today
www.techties.atu.edu
Alumni News
3Spring 2013
Thursday, Sept. 5 *at NW Oklahoma State Alva, Okla. 7 p.m.Saturday, Sept. 14 *SW Oklahoma State Russellville, Ark. 6 p.m.Saturday, Sept. 21 *at Southern Nazarene Bethany, Okla. 6 p.m.Saturday, Sept. 28 at Nicholls State Thibodaux, La. 6 p.m.Saturday, Oct. 5 *at Arkansas-Monticello Monticello, Ark. 3 p.m.Saturday, Oct. 12 *Southern Arkansas (Family Day) Russellville, Ark. 6 p.m.Saturday, Oct. 19 *at Henderson State Arkadelphia, Ark. 3 p.m.Saturday, Oct. 26 *Ouachita Baptist (Homecoming) Russellville, Ark. 3 p.m.Saturday, Nov. 2 *at East Central Ada, Okla. 2 p.m.Saturday, Nov. 9 *SE Oklahoma State Russellville, Ark. 2 p.m.Saturday, Nov. 16 *Harding (Senior Day) Russellville, Ark. 2 p.m.
2013 Arkansas Tech Football Schedule
*Denotes Great American Conference game | Times are Central and are subject to change. | Home games are played at Thone Stadium at Buerkle FieldAll games broadcast in the Russellville area on KWKK 100.9 FM and around the world at http://athletics.atu.edu
Schedule of EventsFriday, Oct. 25
Homecoming Golf ClassicRussellville Country Club
Ladies Luncheon & Champagne BingoLake Point Conference Center
Hall of Distinction Reunion DinnerLake Point Conference Center
Alumni and Friends ReceptionLake Point Conference Center
Saturday, Oct. 26Alumni Gold Reunion - Class of 1963
Chambers Cafeteria
Homecoming Tailgate PartyCentennial Plaza
Alumni T-Club MeetingHull Building Letterman’s Lounge
Wonder Boys vs. Ouachita BaptistThone Stadium at Buerkle Field
Visit www.techties.atu.edu or call (479) 968-0242 for more details.
4 Tech Action
2013 Hall of Distinction
Terry Rothwell’s career in business
is proof that even the grandest of
accomplishments can have modest
beginnings.
Armed with only a telephone, a
Rolodex and a collection of 3” x 5”
index cards, she founded a business
from her home in 1985.
Today, that business has grown to
become Celerit, one of the premier
technology firms in Arkansas and
a leader in data services for banks
across the United States. Rothwell
serves as chief executive officer for
Little Rock-based Celerit, which
counts seven of the 10 largest banks
in the United States among its
clients.
Rothwell’s ability to personalize
the world of information technology
has been among the keys to Celerit’s
success.
“I was a novelty because I
could barely spell computer,” said
Rothwell. “I had this twangy Southern
voice. I started taking notes about
anniversaries, how many kids, when
the birthdays are for potential
customers…and I would just keep
calling back. I’ve waited three years
to get into a client before, and I kept
that client for 17 years.”
Rothwell was born in Tulsa, Okla.,
and raised in Fort Smith.
“When I was growing up my dad
had the first gas-and-go in Fort Smith
and the first Icee machine in Fort
Smith,” said Rothwell. “From the time
I was in the third grade, he made me
do inventory with him.
“Once a
month I would
sit and use the
10-key adding
machine,”
continued
Rothwell.
“That was
what started
me down the
business path.”
Her father
also showed
her the
importance of
philanthropy.
“My father
was a very
giving person,”
said Rothwell.
“I saw that
from him. He
was always
feeding people and such.”
Rothwell graduated from Fort Smith
Southside High School and enrolled at
Arkansas Tech, where she was selected
to the Athena Troop, chosen as a
charter member of what is now Zeta
Tau Alpha sorority and named to the
1972 Homecoming court.
“I was just always going to
Arkansas Tech,” said Rothwell. “That’s
just the way it was. I knew they had
a good business education program.
I was blessed to have parents that
could afford to send me to school.
“Those were wonderful years for
me,” continued Rothwell. “It helped
me develop a lot of the social skills
that I have.”
Rothwell recalls Dr. Eldon Clary
teaching business education courses
so that she and her classmates
could graduate — the program was
discontinued the next year and later
returned to the curriculum.
Perhaps her greatest influence at
Tech was Jean Murdoch, who served
on the Tech faculty from 1965-85.
“(Murdoch) was a nurturing, caring
person,” said Rothwell. “She wanted
to make sure that each student was
learning. She made time to visit with
every student. Truth be known, I
could have developed this then…I
don’t know, but I started doing this
as a student teacher and continue
to do it to this day…I always made a
point to go by and at least tap each
student on the shoulder.
Terry RothwellDistinguished Alumna
H of DFun Fact
Induction into the
Hall of Distinction
is the greatest honor
Arkansas Tech
may bestow upon
an individual.
Honorees are
selected by the
Board of Trustees.
5Spring 2013
2013 Hall of Distinction
“I continue that today with our
associates,” continued Rothwell.
“Everyone wants to be noticed.
Maybe some of that came from her.”
Rothwell graduated from
Arkansas Tech in 1974 with a
Bachelor of Science degree in
business education. She taught
business education in the Mountain
Home School District for six
years, and in 1981 she married
businessman George Benjamin
Rothwell.
Four years later, with support
and assistance from her husband,
Rothwell founded Technetics
Corporation.
“Benny asked me if I thought
I could do this, and I said I didn’t
know but that we would try,” said
Rothwell. “He thought that if we
could have five consultants out
in the field, I could make $1,000 a
month. That was going to be our
vacation and spending money.”
It soon became much more than
that.
In 2002, the business was
rebranded as Celerit and it has since
enjoyed more than a decade of
growth and expansion. The company
now has four divisions, and in
addition to working with seven of
the 10 largest banks in the United
States, Celerit also partners with
community banks around the region.
The publication Arkansas Business
has designated Rothwell as a
“Technology Pioneer for Arkansas”
and as one of the top five business
executives in the state. Soiree
magazine has listed Rothwell as one
of its “Top 25 Arkansas Women in
Business.”
Celerit has been included
among the top 500 women-owned
businesses in the United States by
the Web site www.DiversityBusiness.
com.
“She’s a human dynamo,” said
Mr. Rothwell when asked about his
wife. “She only sleeps a couple of
hours per night. That’s certainly
one part of her formula for success.
She remains very involved in the
company. Terry has a sixth sense
about who people really are. She
will meet someone and tell me traits
about that person five minutes later
that it would take me months, if not
years, to figure out.”
Mr. Rothwell says that even after
a quarter-century in the business
world, he can still see the educator
in his wife on a regular basis —
including that habit of tapping
her students on the shoulder that
derived from Jean Murdoch.
“The touching comes from her
teaching,” said Mr. Rothwell. “It’s
powerful. She says she doesn’t
like to talk and I know she doesn’t
like to talk, but if you put her in
something close to a classroom
situation with 40 or 50 associates,
she gets very comfortable very
quickly.”
Mrs. Rothwell was appointed to
the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees
by Gov. Mike Huckabee and served
on the board from 2003-08.
She was chair of the Arkansas
Tech Board of Trustees in 2007 and
helped facilitate the construction
of Norman Hall, Baswell Residence
Hall, Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field
and the Chartwells Women’s Sports
Complex during her time on the
board.
Arkansas Tech also added a
satellite campus in Ozark and
acquired what is now known as Lake
Point Conference Center during
Rothwell’s tenure as a trustee.
“I absolutely loved being on the
board, and it’s a treasure forever,”
said Rothwell. “The camaraderie
among the board members…it was
pretty rare when any of us would
miss an event. We were a tight-knit
group, and we still stay in touch. It
was great to see the inner workings
of the school. Dr. (Robert C.)
Brown’s economics background has
helped Tech tremendously.”
Rothwell currently serves on the
Arkansas Tech University Facilities
Foundation Board and on the
Arkansas Tech College of Business
Advisory Council.
The Rothwells’ support of
Arkansas Tech has included
membership in the Century Forward
Circle, the Heritage Society and
the J.W. Hull Society as well as
participation in the Return to Glory
capital campaign.
They were honored for their
many and varied contributions to
Arkansas Tech at Homecoming
2010 when the facility that houses
the College of Business and the
Academic Advising Center was
named Rothwell Hall.
The recognition is symbolic of
everything that has made their lives
fulfilling — business, people and
giving back.
“We never dreamed we could
achieve something like this,” said
Mrs. Rothwell. “We never even
thought about it. We just like to help
kids. That is what makes us whole.”
2013 Hall of Distinction
6 Tech Action
Ben RothwellDistinguished Alumnus
To hear Ben Rothwell tell the story
of Celerit, the banking data services
company that he and wife Terry
Rothwell have built over a span of
three decades, is a study in humility.
On the day they were both
inducted into the Arkansas Tech Hall
of Distinction, Mrs. Rothwell shared
insight on the role her husband has
played in building a genuine American
success story.
“I had the business background,
but until he entered the picture and
gave me that confidence I could not
apply it,” said Mrs. Rothwell. “I still
don’t like to speak in public today. I
am more of a one-on-one person. But
Ben Rothwell always pushed me to
the front. The only arguments we’ve
had in 30-plus years of marriage have
been over the fact that he will not
allow me to say that he had just as
much to do with the success of our
business as I did.
“He instilled in me a go-get-them
attitude and a drive to keep pushing.”
The Rothwells’ induction into the
Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction on
May 11, 2013, took place at Tucker
Coliseum — just a few hundred
yards and two and a half years away
from another emotional day for Mr.
Rothwell.
On Oct. 16, 2010, he spoke of
family and love for his alma mater on
a warm Homecoming afternoon.
He told the assembled crowd
that his wish was to offer future
generations the same opportunities
that he and his wife found at
Arkansas Tech.
That was the day that Arkansas
Tech formally dedicated the new
home for its College of Business and
Academic Advising Center as Rothwell
Hall.
“What does it mean to me….there
are no words,” said Rothwell. “We
both have a giving spirit. We get more
joy and happiness out of giving than
receiving. Through our life, the people
at Tech have become a family, the
people at work have become a family
and our neighbors have become a
family.”
The naming of Rothwell Hall was
an appropriate honor for Mr. Rothwell
given his success in business as well
as the many and varied ways that his
family has supported Arkansas Tech.
However, as is often the case
among successful people, business
was not the first career path that
Rothwell chose.
A native of Baton Rouge, La.,
Rothwell grew up in Quitman. During
his time as a student at Arkansas
Tech, he served as class president
and student senate president.
2013 Hall of Distinction
7Spring 2013
“I’m proud of what I did here
that year,” said Rothwell. “We
re-wrote the student senate
constitution. It had never been
re-drafted since Tech was founded.
There had been amendments, but
it had never been approached
as an entire document. We were
able to get that passed by the
students.”
Rothwell received bachelor’s
degrees in chemistry and biology in
1975.
He was accepted into medical
school and later pursued a career in
medical research.
But eventually his attention
shifted to the business world, and
the result has been a successful
career in financial services and
corporate management that has
spanned more than 30 years.
Early in his business career,
Rothwell served in leadership
positions for Merrill Lynch, A.G.
Edwards and Ciba Vision.
Rothwell says his early work in
the corporate world was enjoyable
because of a natural gift for working
with numbers, but there was still
something missing.
A blind date in 1981 changed
everything.
“I hadn’t found myself yet,” said
Rothwell. “I was ambitious and I
liked making money, but that wasn’t
life satisfaction. I had really buried
myself in making money at the time.
That was all I wanted to do. But
when I met Terry…after I met her,
I never dated anyone else. I found
out what my weaknesses are and
what my strengths are.”
Beginning with the founding
of the company in 1985, he aided
his wife in building Celerit into one
of the premier technology firms
in Arkansas and a leader in data
services for banks across the nation.
Rothwell gave back to higher
education when Gov. Mike
Huckabee appointed him to
Arkansas’ Blue Ribbon Commission
on Higher Education.
A regular participant in the
Arkansas Tech Homecoming
Golf Classic benefitting the
Arkansas Tech Alumni Association
Scholarship fund, Rothwell serves
on the Arkansas Tech University
Foundation Board of Directors
and the Arkansas Tech College of
Business Advisory Council.
The Rothwells have also
maintained close ties with the
Future Farmers of America through
the years. They have jointly been
given several Honorary Chapter
Memberships. They were awarded
the highest honor given by the
state FFA association, the Honorary
State Farmer Degree, and were later
given the highest award offered by
the national FFA organization, the
Honorary American Farmer Degree.
“The FFA is an organization
that gave me leadership skills at
a very young age,” said Rothwell.
“We had a very active chapter at
Quitman. We won national awards
every year. Our advisor, Jim Dasher,
saw something special in me. He
wanted me to go to the state FFA
convention and run for office when
I was a junior, but only to learn
the process. Well, I went and got
elected. So, during my senior year
I spent a great deal of time on the
road as a state FFA officer.
“I came to Tech with some
leadership skills that were just innate
and beyond those of my years,”
continued Rothwell. “Public speaking
is natural for me. It’s because I
learned to do it at a very young age
and I’ve never had a fear of it.”
Equally natural for Mr. Rothwell
and his wife is philanthropy. Their
financial support of Arkansas Tech
has aided students from a variety of
disciplines and left a lasting impact.
Mr. Rothwell said the reason
his family supports the university
is directly attributable to the
leadership of the 11th president of
Arkansas Tech and his wife.
“There’s no question that Dr.
(Robert C.) Brown is a very, very
intelligent man,” said Rothwell. “It
is exceptional when someone does
what their God-given talents want
them to do. Before Bob and Jill
Brown came to this school, I would
tell you that Arkansas Tech was
essentially bankrupt. How do you
attract not just students, but quality
students, into that environment?
“We were blessed with a man
who had a very strong economic
background,” continued Rothwell.
“That was the most important
thing Tech needed at the time. But
guess what? This man also has
a vision about where this school
could go, and not only the vision,
but the charisma and social skills
to implement his vision. Now
there’s a special person! Dr. Brown
and Jill have given everything for
the betterment of Arkansas Tech
students. Terry and I want to believe
that we have aided the fulfillment
of Dr. Brown’s vision for the
future of Arkansas Tech, and most
importantly, its students.”
H of DFun Fact
The idea for the
Arkansas Tech
Hall of Distinction
came from a student,
Kenneth Crouch,
in 1963.
The first
Hall of Distinction class
was inducted in 1965.
8 Tech Action
2013 Hall of Distinction
Jim MurphyDistinguished Alumni Service
Some people are cut out to be
a Wonder Boy for one year. Some
people have what it takes to be a
Wonder Boy for four years.
Not Jim Murphy. Jim Murphy is a
Wonder Boy for life.
“It means everything,” said
Murphy. “This is my extended family.
This is home for me. I’ve had people
ask me, ‘what is a Wonder Boy?’ It’s
everything put together. It’s all of us
helping each other. We still help old
teammates when they are in need.
The whole thing is that it’s family.”
A 1971 graduate of Arkansas Tech
University, Murphy sees his life as a
journey of people and places. And
what a journey it has been.
Growing up in Victoria, Texas,
Murphy was one of four children born
to Johnnie and George Murphy.
“They worked two jobs and raised
four kids on a modest income,” said
Murphy. “Our yard seemed to be the
one where everyone gathered. I guess
because they were always treated
nice.”
There were also strong influences
at school. Murphy was too young
for first grade in public school, so
he began his formal education in
Catholic school.
“Sister Mary taught love, caring
and compassion,” said Murphy of his
first grade teacher.
Penmanship and the value of
speaking a second language —
Spanish, to be specific — were also
drilled into Murphy at a young age by
his teachers.
Then there
was Quay
“Buck” Miller,
who had been
an All-America
lineman at the
University of
Houston and
was Murphy’s
high school
football coach.
“(Miller)
kept me on the
junior varsity
for an extra
year,” said
Murphy. “He
told me I had
talent. He said,
‘let me work
with you one
more year, your
technique will
be improved
and I’ll make
you a good pulling guard.’ That paid
off later.”
Murphy’s father wanted him to
attend Texas A&M University after
high school, but instead he waited
until his 18th birthday and signed up
for the U.S. Air Force.
Murphy took basic training
at Lackland Air Force Base in
San Antonio, Texas, and went on
to attend personnel school in
Greenville, Miss.
Next came three years at
Weathersfield Air Force Base in
England, where Murphy played on the
base’s football team under Major Jack
Bailey and was an offensive guard
on a United Kingdom championship
team.
“Major Bailey left and came
back to the United States before
I did,” said Murphy. “He was
stationed in Hawaii, and then
retired in Fayetteville. He had played
quarterback at the University of
Arkansas. We remained close. He
kept calling and writing while I was
still in England, and he was telling
me I could play ball at Arkansas. I
didn’t really know anything about it,
so when I was discharged from the
Air Force I visited Major Bailey in
Fayetteville.”
Bailey introduced Murphy to
Wilson Matthews, an alumnus of
Arkansas Tech who had accumulated
a legendary career as head football
coach at Little Rock Central High
School before moving on to become
an assistant football coach at the
University of Arkansas.
H of DFun Fact
The Distinguished
Alumni Service
category was created
in 2005.
Past recipients
have included
Neil Jackson,
Polly Bartlett and
Dr. Jack Hamm.
2013 Hall of Distinction
9Spring 2013
Matthews told Murphy he was
not big enough to play on the
offensive line at Arkansas, but he
knew of a place where Murphy
could play and find success.
“He said they’ve got a new coach
at Arkansas Tech — Don Dempsey
— and you need to go down there
and see what they will do,” said
Murphy. “So on my way back to
Texas, I stopped and visited with
Coach Dempsey. He introduced me
to Coach (Don) Sevier. They asked
me to come back in July for a tryout.
I didn’t have anything to lose, so I
went home to Victoria and worked
for a few months. When I came back
in July, they signed me to a four-year
scholarship and I started at offensive
guard for those four years.”
Sevier, who stood 6-foot-7
and was a football and basketball
letterman during his playing days at
Arkansas Tech, served as Murphy’s
position coach.
“Coach Sevier was impressive,”
said Murphy. “He was sitting at his
desk when I went in to his office for
the first time. He started to stand
up, and he just went up and up and
up. He stuck that big hand out that
just engulfed mine. He was quite a
man. He did a lot for me the four
years I was here. He helped me in
terms of improving my technique.
One thing about playing for Don
Sevier — you worked hard.”
Murphy was a key contributor on
Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference
championship teams in 1968 and
1970. He earned a bachelor’s degree
in economics from Tech in 1971.
And though his body and mind
went on to a successful career
in the insurance industry that
continues to this day, Murphy’s
heart never really left the campus.
“Tech became my family,” said
Murphy. “With all the rest of my
family being in south Texas and
having been gone with the Air Force
for four years, I knew more people
in Russellville than I knew in Victoria.
When I graduated from Tech, my
dad asked me what I was going to
do when I came back home. I told
him I didn’t think I was coming back
home. I was going to stay here.”
Influenced by his father-in-law,
C.R. Turner, along with Jerry Burns
and Harold “LeLe” Bartlett — all
of whom are in the Arkansas Tech
Hall of Distinction — Murphy
started volunteering to benefit the
university.
Murphy served on the Arkansas
Tech Alumni Association Board of
Directors from 1980-83 and again
from 2008-10.
He was president of the
Arkansas Tech Alumni Board in
2011.
“There is great work being done
in terms of the alumni scholarship
and the license plate campaign that
makes it possible,” said Murphy. “I
think the alumni association is a lot
more active now than it has ever
been. They have good leadership
with Kelly (Davis) and it’s a pleasure
to work with them.
“Through being on the alumni
board, you cross the generations
and meet some people you’ve never
been involved with,” continued
Murphy. “You learn the things they
appreciate about Tech.”
Murphy has held membership
on the Arkansas Tech Council of
Professionals, the Arkansas Tech
Centennial Committee and the
Arkansas Tech College of Business
Advisory Council.
He was a charter member and
one of the driving forces in the
creation of the Arkansas Tech
Alumni T-Club for former student-
athletes and coaches. He served
on the Alumni T-Club executive
committee from the inception of
the organization in 2010 through
2012.
Murphy is a member of the
Arkansas Tech Green and Gold
booster club and a member of
the Loyalty Society in the Tech
Loyalty Fund in recognition of his
consistent support of the university.
A participant in the Return to
Glory campaign, the Hindsman
Tower campaign and the Century
Forward Circle campaign, Murphy
serves on the Arkansas Tech
University Connection committee
through the Russellville Area
Chamber of Commerce and holds
membership in the Arkansas
Tech Heritage Society. He is also
a former color commentator on
radio broadcasts of Wonder Boys
football.
Murphy has served as an
insurance agent in Russellville since
1972. He was president of Turner-
Dunn-Murphy Agency from 1978-92
and Dunn-Murphy-White Agency
from 1992-2002. Today, he is a sales
executive for Brown and Brown
Insurance in Russellville.
“All through this journey of
people and places, there was always
someone along the way that helped
me out and did things for me,” said
Murphy. “I don’t know exactly when
it was, but I realized that it wasn’t
them. It was a much higher power
that was using those people. When
I stumbled and got off the path,
which we all do at times, it was His
hand that put me back on the path
and set me straight.”
Alumni News
10 Tech Action
Lamoureux named presidential fellowSenator Michael Lamoureux
was named an Arkansas
Tech University Presidential
Fellow during commencement
ceremonies at John E. Tucker
Coliseum in Russellville on
Saturday, May 11.
Lamoureux is serving as
president pro tempore of the
Arkansas Senate during the 89th
Arkansas General Assembly.
Arkansas Tech President Dr.
Robert C. Brown recognized
Lamoureux for his leadership in
the Arkansas legislature, noting
that the recently completed
session resulted in tax reductions, a balanced budget and
increased funding for higher education — including one-
time general improvement funds in the amount of $3.4
million that will be used to help construct a new academic
facility at Arkansas Tech in Russellville.
Lamoureux graduated from Arkansas Tech in 1997 with
a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science.
He was first elected to the
Arkansas House of Representatives
in 2002. He was re-elected in 2004
and 2006, serving the maximum of
three terms allowed by state law.
Lamoureux returned to the
state legislature in 2009 as a
member of the Arkansas Senate.
He was re-elected in 2011 and
chosen by his fellow senators as
president pro tempore for the 89th
Arkansas General Assembly.
A native of Springfield, Mo.,
Lamoureux moved to Dover shortly
before he began kindergarten. He
graduated from Dover High School
and enrolled at Arkansas Tech, where his development
was aided by involvement in such activities as debate
team and Model United Nations.
Lamoureux went on to earn his law degree from the
William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock in 1999. He maintains a legal
practice in Russellville.
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Alumni News
11Spring 2013
Breakfast and a Smile
Arkansas Tech plans Band Camp ReunionIn the summer of
1964, Gene Witherspoon
implemented a plan to
offer the first summer
music program at Arkansas
Tech University for junior
high and senior high
students from around the
state.
In the half-century since, many of the top music
educators in the United States have served on the
faculty for Arkansas Tech Band Camp and the annual
program has provided thousands of young people with
an introduction to the Tech campus.
This summer, that tradition will be celebrated.
The 50th annual Tech
Band Camp will include a
reunion for all Tech alumni
and friends who have
participated in the camp
over the years as well as all
Tech alumni who ever took
part in the music program.
The reunion will take
place July 12-13 and will include social activities, a
campus tour and a chance to perform at Witherspoon
Auditorium as part of a reunion ensemble.
For registration materials and more information, call
Julie Nebben Morgan at (479) 968-0332 or send e-mail
to [email protected]. Registration deadline is July 5.
Sue Chiolino, Shirley Dodd
Rachel Storment, Kao Vang Paul Scheible
Steve Smith, Becky SmithSamantha Dennis, Megan Wyllia
Arkansas Tech alumni and friends returned to campus during
final exams for the spring 2013 semester to provide nourishment
and an encouraging word for Tech students and faculty.
Among those serving breakfast during finals were: Sabra
Bartlett, Sabrina Billey, Linda Boyd, Barbara Braga, Sue Chiolino,
Bill Davis, Don Davis, Lou Nell Davis, Samantha Dennis, Shirley
Dodd, Baldy Faulkner, Travis Flower, Cassy Hewett, Linda Higgins,
Jan Hill, Truman Hill, Vickie Johnson, Charla Keys, Liz Means, Jim
Murphy, Sherry Polsgrove, Howard Ritchie, Paul Scheible, Jan
Shaw, Nancy Shaw, Becky Smith, Steve Smith, Rachel Storment,
Jim Taylor, Carla Terry, Kao Vang, Aaron Watson and Megan Wyllia.
To volunteer in future semesters, call (479) 968-0242.
Band Camp ReunionEvents
Friday, July 12
Alumni/Friends Reception
6:30 p.m. @ Lake Point
Saturday, July 13
Campus Tour
10:30 a.m. @ Young Building
Reading Band
3 p.m. @ Witherspoon Hall
50th Anniversary Celebration
6:30 p.m. @ Lake Point
Today’s Tech
12 Tech Action
Clary, Cooper earn professor emeritus statusTwo men who gave a combined
77 years of service on the Arkansas
Tech University faculty were honored
with the title of professor emeritus by
the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees
during its meeting on March 28.
Dr. Eldon Clary, member of the
Arkansas Tech education faculty
from 1967-2012, received the title
professor emeritus of secondary
education.
Hal Cooper, member of the Tech
music faculty and director of bands
from 1979-2011, received the title
professor emeritus of music.
Professor emeritus is noted in the
Arkansas Tech Faculty Handbook as
an honorary title that is “reserved
only for those who have given
extraordinary and outstanding service
to the university over an extended
period of years.”
The first member of his family to
attend college, Clary earned three
degrees from the University of North
Texas and interviewed to join the
Arkansas Tech faculty during the final
days of J.W. Hull’s administration as
Tech president.
During four-and-a-half decades
at Arkansas Tech, Clary served the
campus community as department
head, head of secondary instruction,
director of teacher education, head of
curriculum and instruction and dean
of both the Graduate College and the
College of Education.
Clary was president of the
Arkansas Association of Teacher
Educators (AATE) in 1991-92 and
a member of the AATE board from
1988-90 and 1992-93. He has
rendered extensive service as a peer
reviewer for The Higher Learning
Commission of the North Central
Association of Colleges and Schools.
“I cannot adequately express
how many hours Dr. Clary gave to
Arkansas Tech and its students during
his tenure as a faculty member,”
wrote Dr. Annette Holeyfield, head
of the Arkansas Tech Department of
Health and Physical Education, in
one of the letters supporting Clary’s
nomination for professor emeritus
status. “Arkansas Tech’s College of
Education and Graduate College owe
much to his vision and leadership. To
hundreds of graduates, Dr. Clary is
fondly remembered and associated
with Arkansas Tech. Many are
indebted to him for success in their
career.”
Cooper took the reins of the
Arkansas Tech Symphonic Band and
the Arkansas Tech Marching Band,
known far and wide as “Arkansas’
Band of Distinction,” in 1979 and
retired on Aug. 30, 2011.
He has served as president of the
Southwest Division of the College
Band Directors National Association, a
member of the Arkansas School Band
and Orchestra Association as well as a
charter member and president of the
Arkansas Bandmasters Association.
A member and past president of
Arkansas Phi Beta Mu, Cooper has
played the role of district governor for
Kappa Kappa Psi college band service
fraternity.
Cooper was named Arkansas
Bandmaster of the Year in 1988,
and he achieved membership in the
American Bandmaster Association in
1992. Phi Beta Mu Arkansas Omicron
Chapter elected Cooper to its hall of
fame in 2013.
The owner of two degrees from
Henderson State University, Cooper
was recognized by his alma mater as a
distinguished alumnus in 2006.
Cooper is one of only four
individuals — the others are
Marvin Williamson (1913-50), Gene
Witherspoon (1950-79) and Dr.
Christopher Anderson (2011-present)
— to hold the title of director of
bands at Arkansas Tech.
“Hal Cooper serves as an ‘elder
statesman’ for band in Arkansas,”
wrote Anderson in one of the letters
in support of Cooper’s nomination
for professor emeritus status. “He
is regarded as one of the most
important band directors of his
generation within Arkansas, and highly
regarded on a national scale. His
students are woven into the fabric
of Arkansas public school bands to
the point they nearly define bands in
Arkansas. His influence remains as
pervasive today as the day he retired
from Arkansas Tech University.”
Dr. Eldon Clary
Hal Cooper
Add One to the List, PleaseOur research and our memories failed us on one important matter when
putting the winter 2013 Tech Action together. In addition to Michael Lamoureux,
current president pro tempore of the Arkansas Senate, one more Arkansas Tech
alumnus — Stanley Russ (photographed, right) — has held that position. Russ,
who earned an associate’s degree from Tech in 1950, was president pro tempore
of the Arkansas Senate from 1995-97.
13Spring 2013
Today’s Tech
REACHING NEW AUDIENCES
Chadwick appointed department head of CLL
Teachers in central, eastern Arkansas to benefit from LEAD 21K-12 schools in central and
eastern Arkansas will soon have
enhanced leadership capacity
because of a new program offered
through Arkansas Tech University.
LEAD 21 is a new initiative by the
Arkansas Tech Center for Leadership
and Learning that will make the
Arkansas Tech Master of Education
degree in educational leadership
available to selected teachers in
Pulaski County and the Delta region
of Arkansas through a blended
format of online course offerings and seminars. The
program is made possible through a $996,682 grant
from the Walton Family Foundation.
“This program is designed to make the Master
of Education degree in educational leadership from
Arkansas Tech accessible to teachers from around the
state who might not have previously had the ability to
pursue it,” said Dr. Mary Gunter, dean of the Arkansas
Tech Graduate College. “LEAD 21 will identify potential
leaders in difficult to serve areas. Participants will commit
to a rigorous two-year graduate program, and they will
also make a commitment to remain as educators in
Arkansas for two years after their graduation.”
LEAD 21 will serve two cohorts of 20 Master of
Education in educational leadership students each over
the next four years. The first cohort will begin its studies
in summer 2013. The second cohort will begin the
program in summer 2014.
Teachers interested in participating in the LEAD 21
program must meet the geographic requirements of the
program, submit an application, take part in a writing
assessment and be interviewed by representatives from
the Arkansas Tech Center for Leadership and Learning.
“LEAD 21 will create a cadre
of leaders that will help schools
develop leadership capacity within
their districts as positions become
available,” said Gunter. “Our goal is to
measure the impact of the program
in both student achievement and
building success.”
Dr. Matt McClure, superintendent
of the Cross County School District,
will serve as coordinator and
facilitator for the LEAD 21 program.
“A key component to student success is having
great school leaders,” said Kathy Smith, senior program
officer at the Walton Family Foundation. “This program
will provide important training and help keep those
leaders in Arkansas.”
Gunter said that in addition to covering the costs
of tuition for LEAD 21 cohort participants, the funding
from the Walton Family Foundation will also allow the
Arkansas Tech Center for Leadership and Learning
to employ a faculty member that will teach LEAD 21
students and serve as their advisor.
“On behalf of the Arkansas Tech Graduate College,
I express my appreciation to the Walton Family
Foundation for its continued support of the Arkansas
Tech Center for Leadership and Learning,” said Gunter.
“LEAD 21 is an important program because it will
increase the talent pool for educational leadership
in our state. We are grateful to the Walton Family
Foundation for making LEAD 21 possible.”
Visit www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org to learn more
about the Walton Family Foundation. Visit
www.atu.edu/cll to learn more about the Arkansas Tech
Center for Leadership and Learning.
Dr. Mona Chadwick, associate professor of
educational leadership, is the new department head for
the Arkansas Tech Center for Leadership and Learning.
Chadwick has been a member of the Arkansas Tech
CLL faculty since 2009.
Prior to her time at Tech, Chadwick had a 29-year
career as a public school teacher and administrator.
Dr. Mary Gunter, dean of the Tech Graduate College,
will continue to serve as director of the Arkansas Tech
CLL for partnerships and public school outreach.
Today’s Tech
14 Tech Action
Sparks earns Young Award as top senior femaleShe could not have known it then, but in many ways the
course of Amanda Sparks’ life in college and beyond was
charted by a brief meeting with a faculty member during her
second week as a student at Arkansas Tech University.
Four years later, Sparks’ journey has led to the 2013
Margaret Young Award as the most outstanding senior
female student at Arkansas Tech.
It all began early in the fall 2009 semester when Sparks
was introduced to Dr. Linda Bean, associate professor of
business at Arkansas Tech and Sam M. Walton Fellow for
the Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) campus organization
(now known as Enactus).
“I was vice president last year and president this year,
and that involves a weekly meeting with Dr. Bean,” said
Sparks. “She’s my support system here. She’s played every
role for me. She’s been my shoulder to cry on and my
psychologist. Just whatever I need, she’s there.”
A native of Berryville, Sparks has served as president
and vice president of programs during four years of
membership in SIFE/Enactus.
She was named SIFE member of the year in 2010-11
and 2011-12, and she received the Billy Ramsey SIFE
Scholarship in 2012.
Thanks in part to Sparks’ leadership, SIFE/Enactus
at Arkansas Tech has won three consecutive region
championships through competitive presentations of the
organization’s community service projects. SIFE/Enactus
was named student organization of the year at Tech three
times during Sparks’ four years on campus.
In addition to the Margaret Young Award, Sparks owns
something else that is coveted by seniors — a career
opportunity immediately following graduation. Sparks has
been hired by Walmart to work out of its home office in
Bentonville in the merchant leadership program, which
will prepare her to become a buyer for the world’s largest
retailer.
“There is so much to do senior year, so not having to
worry about finding a job has been a big relief,” said Sparks.
“I received my offer before school started last fall. I don’t
know what I would have done this year if I had been worried
about that on top of everything else.”
Waters named Crabaugh Award winnerDacen Waters of Dover owns a 3.975 grade point
average and he will soon hold degrees in mechanical
engineering and physics from Arkansas Tech University.
He has served an internship as a research associate
in the NASA Robotics Academy at the Marshall Space
Flight Center. He can tell you about fluid equations for
current bearing electron shockwaves and the wonders
of interacting dark energy models. In other words, he
actually understands the science jokes on the popular
television series “The Big Bang Theory.”
But somehow, Waters has also made time to serve
as president of the Interfraternity Council, director of
the GOLD Cabinet, co-executive director of the Greek
Programming Board and as an officer for Alpha Tau
Omega fraternity at Arkansas Tech.
That combination of academic excellence and
campus leadership made Waters the winner of the 2013
Alfred J. Crabaugh Award for most outstanding male
senior student at Arkansas Tech.
“It’s the final outcome of a lot of hard work,” said
Waters. “I’ll have two degrees at the end of this, my
fraternity and an experience that not many others can
say they’ve had. This award is a representation of all that
summed up into one.”
Waters’ experience as a NASA intern in summer
2012 allowed him to design and construct multiple
micro-friction test platforms to model small satellite
interactions in the flight robotics laboratory.
He performed that work alongside engineering
students from some of the most prestigious institutions
of higher learning in the United States.
“Last summer, I worked with an aerospace engineering
student from MIT, and one of the other students in
my academy was from Georgia Tech, one of the top
engineering schools in the nation,” said Waters. “Going
into it I was a little bit intimidated, but when I got there,
I found that I was fully capable of meeting all of their
expectations. Arkansas Tech prepared me for that.”
15Spring 2013
Today’s Tech
Chambers Cafeteria expansion project underwayArkansas Tech University is engaged in an $8.7
million renovation to Chambers Cafeteria that will
yield a refurbished, 900-seat space for dining by Tech
students during the fall 2013 semester.
Chambers Cafeteria was dedicated on the Arkansas
Tech campus in February 1966.
It is named in honor of the Chambers family of
Danville, which has been represented on the Arkansas
Tech Board of Trustees for three generations — Judge
John Ed Chambers (who served 1925-37, 1939-53 and
1955-63), John Ed Chambers II (who served 1965-67
and 1987-88) and John Ed Chambers III (who served
1994-99 and 2007-present).
There’s a new option for college
graduates from a wide variety of
backgrounds who want to sharpen
their business acumen while earning
a master’s degree.
Arkansas Tech University
will offer course work toward a
Master of Science in Business
Administration degree for the first
time during the fall 2013 semester.
The 30-hour program, which is
the first master’s degree offering
from the Arkansas Tech College of
Business, is available for graduates
who earned their baccalaureate
degree in a discipline other than
business.
The Arkansas Tech Master of
Science in Business Administration
degree includes opportunities for
students to take courses through
online learning.
The curriculum and course
schedule are planned such that
a student can go from beginning
the program to earning a master’s
degree in just 12 months.
“Students in the Master of
Science in Business Administration
degree program will experience a
graduate level of academic rigor
that will allow them to cover
in 21 hours what we normally
cover in about 45 hours at the
undergraduate level,” said Dr. Ed
Bashaw, dean of the Arkansas Tech
College of Business and professor
of marketing.
Dr. Stephen Jones, associate
dean of business and associate
professor of management at
Arkansas Tech, will serve as faculty
advisor for students enrolled in
the Master of Science in Business
Administration program.
“From their knowledge base,
a graduate of this program would
be able to understand how to do
budgets and how to hire, train and
motivate employees,” said Jones.
“There are constraints that each
member of the workforce operates
under. Our interest is providing
a knowledge base that will allow
graduates the opportunity to move
up into a management role.”
Visit www.atu.edu/gradcollege,
call (479) 968-0398 or send e-mail
to [email protected] to learn
how to apply for admission to the
Arkansas Tech University Graduate
College.
For more information about the
Arkansas Tech College of Business
and the Master of Science in
Business Administration degree,
visit www.atu.edu/business or call
(479) 968-0490.
Is the new MSBA degree right for you?
Today’s Tech
16 Tech Action Hayes crowned Miss Arkansas Tech 2013Kristen Hayes of Ozark was
crowned the 58th Miss Tech on
Feb. 22 during the 2013 Miss
Arkansas Tech University Scholarship
Pageant at Witherspoon Auditorium.
Daughter of Sheryl and Kevin
Shepherd, Hayes won the Nona
Dirksmeyer Memorial Talent Award,
the Sandi Hodges Memorial Dance
Award and the lifestyle and fitness
swimsuit competition.
Hayes competed in the 2012
Miss Tech Pageant and finished as
fourth runner-up. This time around
it was the 2012 Miss Arkansas Tech
— Claire Hodgson of Russellville —
placing the crown on Hayes’ head.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” said Hayes. “It’s going to
be an awesome experience. I am so excited and so ready.
I absolutely love Tech and I am honored to be able to
represent our university.”
Hayes will represent Arkansas
Tech in the 2013 Miss Arkansas
Pageant July 14-20 in Hot Springs.
Her platform is “Stay Alive: Don’t
Text and Drive.”
“One of my really good friends
was killed in 2007 because she was
texting and driving,” said Hayes.
“I felt that this was a wake-up call
and I needed to do something
about it. That’s what I’m going to
do. I’m going to make sure that
every person I come in contact with
around the state of Arkansas knows
about the dangers of texting and
driving.”
Dr. Jim Collins, professor of
horticulture at Arkansas Tech, serves
as executive director and master of ceremonies for the
Miss Tech Pageant.
Delta Zeta sorority sponsors the event.
Online program providing opportunitiesAmy Teetzen of Greenwood was running out of time to
realize her dream of earning a college degree.
She was frustrated by what she describes as “rigid
schedules” at colleges and universities she had attended
in the past.
Married for three years with plans to soon move
to Dallas, Texas, with her husband and begin a family,
Teetzen was beginning to think she would have to
wait until after she raised her children to complete her
baccalaureate degree.
A life-changing suggestion from her great aunt, Tech
alumna Jane Stewart Ware, put Teetzen on track to earn
her Bachelor of Professional Studies degree from Arkansas
Tech via the online Accelerated Degree Program.
“I had started to look at other options,” said Teetzen.
“My great aunt graduated from Arkansas Tech when it
was a two-year college. Her three kids all went here. They
strongly advised me to look into Arkansas Tech.”
Accompanied by her parents, Teetzen participated
in commencement ceremonies at Tucker Coliseum in
Russellville on May 11. It was her first visit to campus.
Teetzen arrived early to drive around and view the
physical presence of the university that was about to
become her alma mater.
She cited eight-week courses, the availability of
summer courses and academic advising via telephone and
e-mail from such faculty as Dr. Beth Giroir as major factors
in allowing her to complete her degree.
“(Giroir) spoke to me for an hour on the phone before
I even applied,” said Teetzen. “Dr. Giroir has always been
very available to help. She has even responded to my
questions on Sundays. I was able to finish my degree
at Arkansas Tech two years earlier than I would have
elsewhere.”
To learn more about the Arkansas Tech Accelerated
Degree Program, visit www.atu.edu/accelerateddegree.
17Spring 2013
Ozark Campus
A JOB WELL DONEDr. Jo Alice Blondin, chancellor at Arkansas Tech
University-Ozark Campus, has accepted the position
of president at Clark State Community College in
Springfield, Ohio, effective July 1, 2013.
Blondin joined Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus as its
chief academic officer in August 2005. She was promoted
to chancellor in June 2006 and has been instrumental in a
period of growth at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus that has
included an enrollment increase of 562 percent and the
addition of 16 new academic and technical programs.
“Dr. Jo Alice Blondin utilized her considerable talents
and energy to create a learning environment that will
benefit the students of Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus for
generations to come,” said Dr. Robert C. Brown, president
of Arkansas Tech University. “Dr. Blondin represents the
best in educational leadership because she is a devoted
advocate for her students. We are saddened to see her
go, but thankful for all of her efforts on behalf of Arkansas
Tech-Ozark Campus.”
During her time as chancellor at Arkansas Tech-Ozark
Campus, Blondin oversaw the addition of Associate
of Applied Science degree programs in fields such as
business technology and allied health.
Students at Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus may now
study cardiovascular technology and prepare for careers
as occupational therapy assistants and physical therapy
assistants because of curriculum advances made during
Blondin’s tenure.
Her vision also led to the addition of programs that are
tied to the local economy, such as the decision to offer a
technical certificate in viticulture for individuals interested
in careers in the wine industry, and the Ozark Campus
regularly sets up off-site training locations where displaced
workers can learn new skills for re-entry to the workforce.
Arkansas Tech-Ozark Campus has grown to oversee
the Arkansas Tech Career Center near Russellville High
School as well as the adult education programs in
Franklin, Logan and Johnson counties.
In fall 2012, enrollment at Arkansas Tech-Ozark
Campus exceeded 2,000 students for the first time ever.
Also in 2012, the campus awarded 452 degrees,
reconfigured all of its programs to comply with Act 747
of 2011, embedded environmentally-sound principles
into all of its programs, implemented a comprehensive
student retention plan and completed its first-ever capital
campaign.
“Personally and professionally, the presidency at Clark
State Community College is a great opportunity, and I look
forward to working with the board, faculty, staff, students
and the community,” said Blondin. “I will truly miss the
Tech family and all we have accomplished together,
though the campus is positioned to continue fulfilling our
mission and providing students with the best education
and training.”
Blondin moves on after seven years as Ozark chancellor
It’s Not Too Late
There’s still room in the
Century Forward Circle
for you.
To join, contact the
Office of Development
at (479) 968-0400.
Development Corner
18 Tech Action
Verlon AbramLou & Travis AdamsAMR ArchitectsThe Leon Anderson Family - Nationwide InsuranceArkansas Blue Cross & Blue ShieldArkansas Orthopaedic Institute - Dr. Russell & Nebe AllisonDr. Ed & Sara BashawCarl F. BaswellB.J. & Kristy BayerJames & Laurie BiblerCharles & Cynthia BlanchardLarry & Mary BranchBridgestone AmericasDr. Robert A. & Jean BrooksDr. Robert C. & Jill BrownWilliam E. Browning, Jr.Michael & Sarah CarterChartwellsLaura Norman ColganJeffrey W. CookPhillip & Lois CoxCheryl L. DentonDavid & Shirley DoddIrene A. Edgar
EntergyElton & Deanna EpleyJ. J. “Jack” Faulkner FamilyIn Memory Of Eunice Brownlee FergusonCharles A. L. Fore & Jane Smallwood ForeCharles A. Frueauff FoundationJacqueline GardnerDr. Diane GleasonFrank Griffin Oil Co., Inc.Dr. Mary B. GunterSuzanne & Bill HarmonBenny & LaVel HarrisJohn G. & Carol HarrisTommy & Shelby HillmanHumphrey Funeral Service - Jim Bob & Betty HumphreyToland Grandchildren Of Vikki JohnsonTom & Jayne JonesCharles & Wilma LabahnPowell & Kaye McClellanLloyd D. McDanielRaymond C. MollJohnny & Julie Morgan
David C. & Dana Quay MoseleyJim MurphySusie & Dan NicholsonJulie NormanJenifer NormanIn Memory Of Robert Kelly NormanSandra & Robert NormanThe John Nutt FamilyRichard PerkinsJohn & Karen PrzybyszBen & Terry RothwellChris & Beverly ShivelyRobert & Lisa ShoptawLemoyne & Jawanda SmithJamie & Beth SorrellsT. L. Todd SweedenDr. H. Micheal TarverNorris C. Taylor EstateRick & Harriet ThoneTom & Mary Alice TomlinsonDoris & Barger TygartJohn & Trudy WatsonLeigh & John WhitesideJohn & Becky Womack
Arkansas Tech University proudly announces
the members of its Century Forward Circle.
Their gifts and pledges of $10,000 each created
an endowment that will allow Arkansas Tech
to meet priority needs of the university for
generations to come.
Development Corner
19Spring 2013
IN MEMORY/HONOR OF (January 1, 2013 through March 31, 2013)The following individuals made gifts to Tech in memory or in honor of a friend or loved one
In Memory of Don BurnettStanley and Maysel Teeter
In Memory of Margie BurrisJohnny and Julie Morgan
David and Dana Moseley
In Memory of Dan CameronWilliam and Carolyn Maestri
In Memory of Evelyn FlowerBob Carney
In Memory of Kevin CaughmanCare Foundation Inc
Thomas Dumas
Howard and Micki Houston
Jerry Jones
Tad and Gayle Lowrey
William and Carolyn Maestri
Jerry and Mary Lou Oday
Larry and Kari Prescott
In Memory of Tomilea CrossJohn and Dean Strickland
In Memory of Gerald DickinsonChester and Nancy Key
In Memory of Dianne EdwardsLyman and Carol Harris
Christopher and Carrie Phillips
In Memory of Dr. Larry EvansBrian and Jovie Swain
In Memory of Col. James GiardinaKay Giardina
In Memory of Jim HardinRay Ward
In Memory of Judge W.R. “Bud” HarperTom and Jayne Jones
In Memory of Savannah HintzeJeffery A. Hale M.D.P.A.
RHS After Prom
Shoptaw Labahn and Company PA
Wesley United Methodist Church
In Honor of Jessie LoganShirley Leonard
In Memory of Kathleen HollabaughRay Ward
In Memory of Beverly JacksonLyman and Carol Harris
Christopher and Carrie Phillips
In Memory of Jack JonesLynn Hardin
In Memory of Wanda LangrellJanice Robinson
In Memory of Gordon McLerranArnold and Katherine Bowden
In Memory of Billy RamseySarah Beckcom
Melissa Steeves
In Memory of Rick ReddenTom and Jayne Jones
In Memory of Christina StinnettRussellville Symphony Guild
David and Betty Snellings
In Memory of Chuck WillisWilliam and Carolyn Maestri
In Memory of Mike WomackThomas Dumas
Howard and Micki Houston
William and Carolyn Maestri
Class of 2013 Donatesmore than $2,000 to Tech
Members of the Arkansas Tech University Loyalty
Pacesetters Committee presented a gift of $2,036.74
from the Tech Class of 2013 to the Arkansas Tech
Foundation at the Alumni House on May 9.
The funds were donated by seniors at Arkansas
Tech. The senior class gift program at Arkansas Tech
is in its eighth year. Seniors at Arkansas Tech have
donated approximately $12,500 to the Arkansas Tech
Foundation over the past eight years as part of the Tech
Loyalty Fund senior class gift campaign.
The program is designed to begin a lifetime tradition
of giving back to Arkansas Tech by encouraging seniors
to make their first gift to the Arkansas Tech Foundation
before graduation.
Jayne Jones (photographed, front row, second
from right), vice president for development at Tech,
accepted the donation on behalf of the Arkansas Tech
Foundation. She offered appreciation to the Loyalty
Pacesetters Committee and those who donated.
The Loyalty Pacesetters Committee members
present for the check presentation were: (back row,
left-to-right) Marvin Suggs of Rison and Bryan Ferguson
of Sherwood; (front row, left-to-right): Cat Singleton of
Paragould, Chelsea Lairamore of Van Buren, Marissa
Reynolds of Benton and Aaron Wallis of Atkins.
Reynolds and Wallis served as campaign co-chairs.
Tech Travel making big plans for 2014Alumni and friends of Arkansas Tech University will
have an opportunity to visit locations domestic and
abroad as part of the Tech Travel group in 2014.
For more information about the following trips, call
(479) 964-0532 or send e-mail to [email protected].
• Canyon Country (Arizona and Utah), March 2014
• European Tapestry Cruise, June 2014
• Exploring Seattle and Cruising Alaska, Summer 2014
• Islands of New England, August 2014
• Autumn in America’s Heartland, October 2014
• Christmas on the Danube, December 2014
Class Notes
20 Tech Action
Marriages
Darla Jean Bryant (BIOL ’06) and Cullen Farr Anson
were married on April 13, 2013. They live in Bryant.
Cara Slone (ENGL/CRWR ‘07 & M.S. CSP ‘12) and
Brock Knight (ALUM) were married on March 23, 2013.
Carolyn Kistler (HEPE ’08) and Brad Hottinger were
married on March 2, 2013. They live in Russellville.
Alison Parks (ENGL ’08, M.S. CSP ’10 & M.S. EMHS
‘12) and Earnest Taylor (ELEC ENGR ‘09) were married
on May 4, 2013.
Lindsey Pender (CRWR EDU & ENGL EDU ’08) and
John Hargis were married on Dec. 29, 2012. They live in
Alaska.
Lacey Thacker (CRWR ’10) and Scott Meislohn were
married on March 19, 2012. They live in Maumelle.
T.J. Posey (MGMT/MKTG ’11) and Jenny Vining (ECED
’11) were married on April 27, 2013.
Ashley Marie Collins (BPS-PR ’12) and Jared Boyce
Jones were married on Sept. 29, 2012. They live in Dover.
Joshua Merritt (MECH ENGR ’12) and Samantha Van
Veckhoven (BIOL ’12) were married on July 14, 2012.
They live in Pine Bluff.
Haley M. Larsson (HOSP ADMIN ’13) and Justin L.
Hopkins were married on March 9, 2013. They live in
Little Rock.
Births
Kimberly Ann Boone Shaw (BUAD ’93) and her
husband, Chris, twin boys, Fisher Wilkes and Turner
Hayes, March 8, 2013.
Bryan Fisher (NAT SCI ’99) and Paige Cooley Fisher
(ENGL ’03), a son, Griffin Cole, April 4, 2013.
Jeremy Saul (BIOL ’02) and Kate Jolley Saul (RPA ’04),
a son, Lincoln Nathaniel, March 28, 2013.
Lindsay Robinson Beaton (HEPE ’03 & M.Ed ’06) and
her husband, Kyle, a daughter, Anna Claire, March 31,
2013.
Jennifer Tabor Cozens (SPH ’03) and Victor Cozens
(HEPE ’03), a daughter, Lyla Grace, Aug. 27, 2012.
Stephen Foster (FISH/WLDLF ’03) and his wife, Kelly,
a daughter, Abigail Madelyn, April 5, 2013. Abigail has
one sister, Emma (2).
Yousaf Riaz (M.S. INFO TECH ’03) and his wife, a son,
Abdullah Yousaf, Feb. 23, 2013. They live in Tucson,
Ariz.
Ryan Davis (AGBU ’04) and Sarah Milam Davis (ECON
’08), a daughter, Claire Elizabeth, Jan. 31, 2013. Claire
has one brother, Wyatt (2).
Tara Hawkins Dorminy (PSY ’04) and Michael Dorminy
(MGMT/MKTG ’05), a son, Jackson Hays, Feb. 6, 2013.
Jackson has one sister, Hadley (2).
Daniel Beam (PSY ’05) and Tasha Pack Beam (ALUM),
a son, Eli Christian, Feb. 4, 2013.
Pei-Yi Jones (M.A. ENLM ’08) and her husband,
Kenneth, twin girls, Paisley and Keyleigh, April 4, 2013.
They live in Russellville.
Jessica Bilant Mearns (NURS ’09) and her husband,
Daniel, a son, Lucas Duawn, March 28, 2013. Lucas has
one brother, Brayden (13), and one sister, Sophia (3).
They live in Russellville.
Brent Ross (BIOL ’09) and Jessica Rudder Ross (MLED
’11), a son, Brody Charles, Feb. 26, 2013. They live in
London.
Ashley Watts Carr (MATH EDU ’10) and Dillon Carr
(BUAD ’10), a son, Decklon Ray, March 1, 2013.
Matt Goddard (MECH ENGR ’10) and Colleen Day
Goddard (NURS ’11), a daughter, Kaley Nicole, Feb. 28,
2013. They live in Russellville.
Marika Moore Lederman (SOC ’09) and Ken
Lederman (CP-ETMB ’10), a daughter, Everi Louise,
March 12, 2013.
Kristen Bethea Weatherall (ECED ’10) and her
husband, Jonathan, a son, Braxton Glenn, Jan. 29,
2013. Braxton has one brother, Braden James (2).
Class Notes
21Spring 2013
1950s
Dr. Robert L. Jones (ECED ’50) was honored by
Mississippi State University when it dedicated the
Robert L. Jones Student Affairs Hall of Honor on
March 20, 2013. Robert was hired as the first vice
president for student affairs at Mississippi State
in 1967. He later served on the administration
and faculty at the University of Texas at Tyler from
1984-2000. He is a professor emeritus at UT-Tyler
and namesake for the annual outstanding student
leadership award on that campus. Robert lives in
Tyler, Texas.
Earnestine Strang Cuthbert (HOME EC ’59) and
her husband, Tom, have lived in Greenwood since
August 1995 after previously residing in Plano, Texas.
She hopes to catch up with some of her home
economics classmates and the friends she made
while living in Caraway Hall at Arkansas Tech.
1960s
Steve N. Wilson (BIOL ’67) was inducted into the
Trout Hall of Fame on April 20, 2013, at the Arkansas
State University campus in Mountain Home. Steve
is retired as director of the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission.
1970s
Dr. Kenneth Hamilton (BIOL ’71 & MED TECH ’73)
enjoyed a varied career that included 12 years as
a dentist, seven years as a member of the faculty
at Westark College and 15 years on the staff of
the Arkansas Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In
retirement, Kenneth continues as volunteer head
tennis coach at Greenwood High School, a position
he has held for the last 15 years. He and his wife,
Ann, have three children and three grandchildren.
David Bartlett (ACCT ’74) was named Arkansas
Bankers Association chairman for 2013-14. David is
president and chief banking officer for Simmons First
National Corporation.
C. Dennis Daniel (FISH/WLDLF ’75) received the
2013 National Wild Turkey Federation Wayne Bailey
Lifetime Achievement Award. Dennis is retired from
a career as a wildlife biologist for the USDA Forest
Service.
1980sMike Bartlett (HEPE ’85) was hired as head baseball
coach at Stewarts Creek High School in Rutherford
County, Tennessee.
Randall Gray (M.Ed. ELED ’85) is retired from a
teaching career in the Hector School District. He
raises beef cattle.
James Myatt (AGBU ’86) was promoted to market
president for Cornerstone Bank in Berryville and the
eastern district of Carroll County.
Dr. Jeffrey A. Hale (PRE-MED ’87) has a private
radiology practice in Russellville.
Sheila Jacobs (ENGL EDU ’88, M.Ed. ENGL EDU
’93, M.Ed. TLL ’06 & Ed.S ’11) was named principal
at Russellville High School.
Jovie Lynn Arbaugh Swain (BUED ’89) was
promoted to director of international sales at Tyson
Foods, Inc., in Springdale.
1980s
Dr. Patrick Christiansen (PSY ’91) is chief executive
officer for Inova Fairfax Medical Campus and
executive vice president for the Inova Health System
in Virginia.
Grayson S. Hale (BUAD ’91 & ACCT ’95) was named
the top business attorney in North Carolina for 2013
by the publication Business North Carolina. Grayson is
a founding partner of Morningstar Law Group.
Rodney Parks (ECON ’91) offered the spring 2013
lecture in the Arkansas Tech University College of
Business Distinguished Speaker Series on March 7.
Rodney worked in the banking industry for 20 years
before accepting his current position as director of
development for Philander Smith College in Little
Rock.
Sherry Sawyer (ART EDU ’93 & M.S.E. GTED ’01)
received the 2013 Arkansans for Gifted and Talented
Education (AGATE) Educator Award. Sherry is a
fourth-grade gifted and talented teacher in the
Russellville School District.
1990s
Class Notes
22 Tech Action
2000s
Curtis Traylor (AGBU ’02) teaches automotive
technology at Arkansas State University-Searcy.
Judi Moore (MGMT/MKTG ’03) of Teaff and Draughon,
Certified Public Accountants, is an enrolled agent with
the Internal Revenue Service.
Rob Beadel (FISH/WLDLF ’95) was appointed to
a three-year term on the operating committee of
Project Learning Tree, a national environmental
education program coordinated by the American Forest
Foundation. Rob is director of forestry education
with the Arkansas Forestry Association Education
Foundation.
Dr. Shannon Snellings (CHEM ’95) was selected by
her employer, Battelle, as one of 12 Women’s History
Month honorees from around the country for 2013.
Shannon is a senior chemist for Battelle at the Pueblo
chemical agent destruction pilot plant in Colorado.
Laura Binz (ELED ’96 & M.S.E. GTED ’07) completed
a four-year term on the Arkansans for Gifted and
Talented Education (AGATE) board. Laura is a gifted
and talented/advanced placement coordinator for the
Russellville School District.
Heather Simmons Keith (ECON ’99) was named first
vice president and marketing director at MidSouth
Bank.
Ernest King (HEPE ’99) was promoted to head football
coach at E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville, N.C.
Ryan Taylor (JOUR ‘03) earned two national awards in
the 2013 Educational Advertising Awards sponsored by
Higher Ed Marketing. Ryan is coordinator of information
services for the Arkansas Tech Office of Admissions.
Carrie Harris Phillips (JOUR ’05 & M.A. MMJR ’08)
received the 2013 CASE District IV Rising Star award.
Carrie is director of new media at Arkansas Tech.
Courtney Spradlin (JOUR ’06) was featured in the April
2013 issue of Editor & Publisher magazine as one of the
“Top 25 Under 35 to Watch.” Courtney is a reporter for
the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway.
Elijah Blackburn (HIM ’07) was named director of
health information management at Jefferson Regional
Medical Center in Pine Bluff.
Magean Warnock-Brents (SOC ’07) is a child abuse
investigator and family service worker for the State
of Arkansas. She is pursuing a master’s degree from
Arkansas Tech.
Cara Slone Knight (ENGL/CRWR ‘07 & M.S. CSP ‘12)
received the 2013 Jim Ed McGee Award for most
oustanding student in the Arkansas Tech Graduate
College.
Leslie Miller Harris (JOUR ’08) earned a Master of
Public Service degree from the University of Arkansas
Clinton School of Public Service on May 11, 2013.
Janna Hughes (MGMT/MKTG ’08) was named assistant
director of marketing and promotions for the University
of Arkansas Department of Athletics in April 2013.
SEE YOU AT THE BALL GAMES!
TechNight
with theNaturals:August 2
TechNight
with theTravelers:June 28
All Arkansas TechAlumni & Friends
Invited
Call (479) 968-0242or e-mail [email protected]
for ticket information.
Class Notes / Obituaries
23Spring 2013Bonner Lewis Shinn (‘39) died March 21, 2013.
Bonner joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and served as a
psychiatrist treating service men and women in California
during and after World War II and the Korean War. He
owned a private psychiatry practice in Oak Cliff, Texas,
from 1954-90. Bonner lived in Dallas, Texas. He was 93.
Ellen Madeline Gorlinsky Hubbard (’41) died May
4, 2013. Ellen served in World War II for three years
as a supervisor in intelligence. Her varied career after
the war included work as an administrative assistant,
as a service supervisor for the Pacific Telephone and
Telegraph Company in Los Angeles, Calif., and as a flight
attendant. She taught fourth grade at Oakland Heights
Elementary School in Russellville prior to her retirement
in 1983. Ellen lived in Russellville. She was 91.
James M. Lipsey (’41) died March 28, 2013. Jim learned
to fly as a member of the civilian pilot training program
while a student at Arkansas Tech. He served as a flight
instructor for the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War
II. Jim went on to a career in radio, advancing to the
rank of vice president at Learfield Communications
before his retirement in 1992. He served two terms as
lieutenant governor of the Kiwanis MO-ARK District. Jim
lived in Jefferson City, Mo. He was 91.
Etta Sue Lowe (’41) died March 17, 2013. Etta financed
her education at Arkansas Tech with proceeds from her
flock of turkeys that she developed as a member of 4-H.
She went on to earn a master’s degree from the George
Peabody College for Teachers and taught elementary
school before marriage. She was later a homemaker.
Etta lived in Quincy, Ill. She was 91.
Dr. Virginia Rhea Morris Levey (’43) died Sept.
12, 2012. She earned a doctorate from Marquette
University and went on to serve as a faculty member
at the University of Central Arkansas. Virginia lived in
Conway. She was 88.
Robert Edward Apple (’47) died Feb. 16, 2013. Robert
served in World War II as a member of the 1st Marine
Division in the South Pacific. He went on to teach in
schools and colleges in Arkansas and Florida for 18
years and was the National Wildlife Federation South
Central regional executive for 20 years. Robert also
served as president and executive director of the
Arkansas Wildlife Federation and was a member of
conservation committees appointed by Gov. Winthrop
Rockefeller, Gov. Dale Bumpers and Gov. Bill Clinton.
He is a member of the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame.
Robert lived in Dardanelle. He was 87.
Jared Jones (MUED ’08) was named 2012-13 teacher
of the year at Washington Junior High School in
Bentonville.
Kaytie Farrell (M.S. CSP ’09) received the 2013
Dan Hallenbeck Service Award from the National
Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls
(NACURH). Kaytie is a residential life coordinator at
the University of Texas at Dallas.
Molly Fleming (JOUR ’09) was hired by The Journal
Record, a business newspaper in Oklahoma City. Molly
covers stories related to commercial real estate,
retail, entertainment and gaming.
Sara Smith Tosh (PSY ’09) received her Master
of Science degree in psychology from Arkansas
Tech University on May 11, 2013. Sara and Aaron
Christopher Tosh (ELEC ENGR ’09) were married on
Jan. 11, 2010. Aaron is an operator for Entergy.
2010s
Brenda Tash (Ed.S. ’10) was hired as assistant
superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the
Jonesboro School District.
Larry T. Palmer (BPS-EC ’11) is working as a
substitute teacher for the Laramie County School
District in Wyoming.
Ashley Lyn Taylor (MATH ’11) is attending graduate
school at Arkansas State University, where she
studies math and college student personnel services.
Liz Underwood (GRAPHIC DESIGN ’12) was named
the 2012-13 outstanding graduate student in art at
Northwestern State University (La.).
tech Friends We’ll Miss
Kayla Waldrup (HEPE ’09) has qualified for the 2014
Boston Marathon. Kayla is graduate assistant for the
Arkansas Tech cross country program.
Obituaries
24 Tech Action
tech Friends We’ll Miss (Continued)
Remmel Charles Wilson Sr. (ENGR ’47) died April 17,
2013. Remmel was a two-year letterman in boxing at
Arkansas Tech. He served in the U.S. Navy and went on to
a professional career that included work on behalf of John
Morel and Swift and Company, Halliburton and Arkansas
Pollution Control. Remmel lived in Little Rock. He was 89.
Don Allen Burnett (‘48) died March 11, 2013. Don was a
veteran of World War II and the Korean War, during which
he served as a pilot aboard F-84 Thunder Jets. He was
retired from a career as a small business owner. Don lived
in Little Rock. He was 88.
Ralva Ray Bass (’51) died Feb. 18, 2013. Ralva served on
the USS McKee in the South Pacific as a member of the
U.S. Navy during World War II. He taught high school for
seven years before joining the faculty at the University of
Central Arkansas (then Arkansas State Teachers College)
in 1958. Ralva served as associate professor of physics
and department chairman. He was also coach of the UCA
bowling team for 13 years. Ralva retired from full-time
teaching in 1991, but he continued to teach on a part-
time basis for the next decade. He was named professor
emeritus by the UCA Board of Trustees in 1992. Ralva
lived in Conway. He was 91.
Jim Aikman (’52) died Feb. 13, 2013. Jim served in the
U.S. Army in Korea and Vietnam. He worked as a real
estate agent and was past president of the Russellville
Board of Realtors. Jim lived in Russellville. He was 83.
Joe C. Reese (’62) died March 13, 2013. Joe was an All-
Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference end for the Wonder
Boys football program. He was selected by the Green
Bay Packers in the 1958 National Football League Draft.
He later went into coaching and was promoted to head
football coach, director of athletics and dean of students
at Hot Springs High School in 1978. He was president
of the National Federation of Interscholastic Coaches in
1989 and Arkansas Activities Association athletic director
of the year in 1991. Joe lived in Hot Springs. He was 77.
Edwin Lewis “Pal” Parker III (’64) died March 29, 2013.
Pal served in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot for 15 years. He
retired at the rank of major in 1970. Pal lived in Inverness,
Miss. He was 84.
Margaret “Peggy” Hughey Duvall (EDU ’66) died
March 20, 2013. She taught elementary school for 31
years in the schools at Atkins, Morrilton and Hope. Peggy
lived in Russellville. She was 68.
Sylas Paul Conway (’73) died March 6, 2013. Paul was
assistant finance director for the City of North Little Rock
for 18 years. He went on to open Crown Trophy of Cabot.
Paul lived in Cabot. He was 61.
James Philip Baugh (ART ’75) died Dec. 13, 2012. Jimmy
served in the U.S. Navy and was employed by Dow
Chemical for 31 years. He completed his career as a
draftsman. Jimmy lived in Russellville. He was 64.
Dianne Siler Edwards (JOUR ’80) died April 3, 2013.
Dianne worked at The Courier newspaper in Russellville for
more than two decades. In 2006, she created ABOUT the
River Valley magazine and served as editor and publisher
of the publication until her passing. Dianne lived in
Russellville. She was 55.
Cheryl Denise Cochran Fields (EDU ’85) died
April 30, 2013. Cheryl taught first grade at Pyron
Elementary School in Clarksville for 12 years. She was a
member of the Arkansas Education Association. Cheryl
lived in Russellville. She was 51.
Kendra Louise Morton Abbey (ELED ’93) died April 15,
2013. She taught at Pike, Cavanaugh and Cook Elementary
Schools in Fort Smith for 16 years. Kendra lived in Fort
Smith. She was 43.
Joanne T. Prochazka (NURS ’93) died April 27, 2013.
Joanne worked as a registered nurse in Arkansas until
2011, when she moved to Georgia to continue her nursing
career. Joanne lived in Russellville. She was 49.
Sharon Clyma Borengasser (’98) died Feb. 23, 2013. She
worked at First National Bank in Fort Smith for 44 years,
reaching the position of assistant vice president before
her retirement. Sharon lived in Fort Smith. She was 66.
Pamela Arlene Proctor (ECED ’12) died May 9, 2013. She
was a custodial manager with the Hector School District.
Pamela lived in Hector. She was 53.
Tech Athletics
25Spring 2013
Golden Suns rule GAC basketball in 2012-13A 10-point deficit with less than six minutes
remaining in regulation of the Great American
Conference Tournament championship game did not
faze the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns.
After all, they had already stared down and
successfully overcome that situation once this season.
Arkansas Tech won its first-ever GAC Tournament
title in women’s basketball with a 70-66 overtime
victory over the Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs
at Bruin Fieldhouse in Bartlesville, Okla., on March 10.
The victory gave Tech a clean sweep of the 2012-13
GAC titles in women’s basketball. Coach Dave Wilbers
and the Suns also won the regular season GAC title.
The GAC Tournament championship game followed
a similar script to the final regular season meeting
between Tech and SWOSU.
The Golden Suns overcame an 11-point deficit in
the final five minutes to defeat the Bulldogs 82-76 in
Weatherford, Okla., on Feb. 7.
Arkansas Tech trailed 56-46 with 5:49 left in the
second half of the GAC Tournament final, but the
Golden Suns rallied to earn their fifth conference
tournament title at the NCAA Division II level.
Arkansas Tech was previously Gulf South Conference
Tournament champion in women’s basketball in 1998,
2003, 2010 and 2011.
The Golden Suns went on to reach the NCAA
Division II Tournament for the 11th time since 1998.
Minnesota State-Mankato defeated Tech 72-58 in the
first round of the 2013 NCAA Division II Tournament.
Led by All-American Rosie Silva and three-time
all-conference performer Jessica Weatherford, Arkansas
Tech enjoyed its 23rd regular season conference title
and its 31st 20-win season in women’s basketball during
the 2012-13 campaign. Tech finished 23-7 overall.
The Golden Suns rank among the top three women’s
basketball programs in NCAA Division II in all-time wins
(872) and all-time winning percentage (.791).
Wonder Boys earn 5th straight NCAA berthHead coach Doug Karleskint and the 2012-13
Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys basketball team overcame
a seemingly endless string of injuries to reach the 2013
NCAA Division II Tournament.
It was the fifth consecutive NCAA Division II
Tournament appearance for the Wonder Boys. Arkansas
Tech is one of just seven NCAA D-II men’s basketball
programs with an active streak of five or more
consecutive appearances in the national tournament.
The Wonder Boys, who played much of the season
with just eight healthy players, finished 18-12 overall
and earned a share of the Great American Conference
regular season title.
Willie Kirkland
GAC Newcomer of the Year Did You
Know?
Arkansas Tech’s
basketball teams
have a combined
overall record of
205-43 over the
past four seasons.
That is an .827
winning percentage.
Tech Athletics
26 Tech Action
REGION CHAMPSurtevall makes Tech women’s golf history
Rebecka Surtevall made Arkansas Tech University women’s golf history on
May 6 by winning the NCAA Division II Super Region 3 individual championship at
St. Joseph Country Club in St. Joseph, Mo.
Surtevall posted rounds of 81-73-77 during the three-day tournament for a 231
total and a two-stroke victory over a field of 48 players.
A sophomore from Stockholm, Sweden, Surtevall is the first Arkansas Tech
women’s golf team member to win an NCAA Division II region title. She became
the first Golden Sun to ever qualify for the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf
Championships, and she finished tied for 12th in the nation during that event at
LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., May 15-18.
The regional title was the third tournament victory of the season and the sixth
career win for Surtevall, the two-time Great American Conference player of the year.
Arkansas Tech finished seventh in the final team standings at the NCAA
Division II Super Region 3 tournament. This year marked the first time the Golden
Suns have earned a bid to NCAA Division II regional women’s golf competition as
a team. Amy White is the head women’s golf coach at Arkansas Tech.
Wonder Boys win 12th conference golf titleArkansas Tech
University is the
champion of men’s golf
in the Great American
Conference for 2013.
Head coach Luke
Calcatera and the
Wonder Boys had team
scores of 296-293-
302 over the course
of the 54-hole GAC
Tournament at Hot
Springs Country Club April 14-16.
Arkansas Tech’s 891 team total was good for a one-
stroke victory over runner-up Southwestern Oklahoma
State University (303-293-296-892).
Tech was led to the 2013 GAC championship by Brian
Belz. The freshman from Hot Springs posted rounds of
70-72-71 for a 3-under par total of 213 and the 2013 GAC
individual championship.
Arkansas Tech’s
Graham Rucker finished
tied for fourth in the
individual standings. He
returned scores of 71-
71-78 for a 220 total.
Jason Purdy (75-
77-75-227), Rowdy
Garrett (80-73-79-232)
and Colton Dillard
(83-83-78-244) also
contributed to the
Wonder Boys’ GAC championship.
It is the first GAC men’s golf title for Arkansas Tech and
the 12th conference championship in Wonder Boys’ golf
history.
Arkansas Tech won Arkansas Intercollegiate
Conference championships in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969,
1970, 1984, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995. The Wonder Boys
were Gulf South Conference champions in 2004.
Tech Athletics
27Spring 2013
Name_________________________________________________ Tech major and year ___________________________________
(include maiden name if applicable) Graduated or attended (circle one)
Spouse’s Name_______________________________________ Tech major and year ____________________________________
(include maiden name if applicable) Graduated or attended (circle one)
Mailing address________________________________________ City__________________________ State_____ Zip __________
Telephone____________________________________________ E-mail ________________________________________
Occupation: His________________________________________________ Hers __________________________________________
News: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I would like to make a donation to the Arkansas Tech Alumni Association Scholarship: $__________
I would like to make a donation in honor of __________________________________________________: $__________
I would like to make a donation in memory of _________________________________________________: $__________
Please make checks payable to the Arkansas Tech Foundation and write Alumni Scholarship in the memo field of the check.
Donations may be mailed to the Arkansas Tech Foundation, 8820 Tech Lane, Russellville, AR 72801
let
us
hear
from
you
mail class notes to Tech Alumni Office, 1313 N. Arkansas Ave., Russellville, AR 72801 or e-mail to [email protected].
Four win 2012-13 Tucker, Falls AwardsFour Arkansas Tech student-
athletes have been identified by the
Tech Faculty Athletic Committee
as the 2012-13 most outstanding
senior student-athletes on campus.
Brittany Ryan of Mena and
Jessica Weatherford of Bonnerdale
were named co-winners of the
Jeanice Falls Award, while Graham
Rucker of Hot Springs and Jared
Williamson of Russellville were
selected as co-winners of the John
Tucker Award.
This year marks the first time
the awards have been named in
honor of Falls, a 1938 graduate of
Tech and long-time supporter of
women’s athletics; and Tucker, who
played football at Tech from 1919-
1924, was a coach, administrator
and faculty member at Tech from
1925-72 and is remembered as ‘The
Original Wonder Boy.’
Ryan was a four-year letter
winner for the Arkansas Tech
volleyball program. She helped
the Golden Suns win the Gulf
South Conference West Division
championship in 2010 as well as
the Great American Conference
regular season and postseason
championships in 2011.
During her senior season, Ryan
was All-GAC first team. She was All-
GAC honorable mention as a junior
in 2011.
Weatherford earned four letters
with the Arkansas Tech women’s
basketball program and ranks
12th in school history in career
scoring. The Golden Suns won two
NCAA Division II South Region
championships, four regular
season conference titles and three
postseason conference tournament
championships during her career.
Weatherford was an All-GAC
first team selection in 2011-12
and 2012-13 and an All-GSC West
Division second team selection in
2010-11.
A four-year letterman, Rucker
was named to the All-GAC second
team in both 2011-12 and 2012-13.
He helped the Wonder Boys
win the 2013 GAC Tournament
championship and earn their first
NCAA regional bid since 2009.
Williamson earned three letters
with the Arkansas Tech men’s
basketball program. He contributed
to three regular season conference
championships, three NCAA
Division II Tournament berths and
the 2012 GAC Tournament title.
Williamson was All-GAC second
team in both 2011-12 and 2012-13.
Brittany Ryan
Jessica Weatherford
Graham Rucker
Jared Williamson
Tech ActionArkansas Tech UniversityAlumni AssociationAlumni House1313 North Arkansas Ave.Russellville, AR 72801
Arkansas Tech University Alumni Association
Volume 49 No. 2
