Emily Cole (B.A., English literature, minor communications, magna cum laude, ’18) is working at the corporate fund of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. She says, “I ended up at the Kennedy Center because I enjoyed the work I did as a development intern at Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. Internships are a great way to get a feel for a potential career field, and the experience is definitely worthwhile even if you choose not to pursue that field.” 

Work on her honors thesis, “Talking with Dragons: How Dragons Reveal the Hero’s Heart,” prepared  Anne Crafton  (B.A., history,  summa cum laude, ’18) for her next chapter: She  has been accepted into a doctoral program at the Medieval Institute of Notre Dame.  

Lincoln  Gimnich  (B.A., international studies and psychology, minors in French and statistics,  magna cum laude,  ‘18)  is pursuing a Master of Arts in Security Policy Studies at the George Washington University and is Graduate Fellow for Development at the Institute for Global Engagement. 

Amy Lyon  (B.A., international relations and Middle East studies, cum laude,  ’18)  is studying Arabic at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley in Kansas City and considering an interpreter certificate. She is a digital marketing specialist and guest experience lead at Centered Spirit Cultural and Holistic Center. 

Jace McPherson  (B.S. computer science,  minor in mathematics,  summa cum laude,  ‘18)  is a software engineer with Google in Boulder, Colorado. He writes, “My career was seriously bolstered by the Career Development Center by organizing mock interviews with a Google engineer. I didn't know that I'd walk away from a mock interview with a chance at a Google internship. This one event kickstarted my internship and later full-time job offer, and I am very thankful to have had this opportunity.” 

Natalie O’Neal  (B.S., kinesiology, summa cum laude,  ’18)  is working toward a Doctor of Physical Therapy at the University of Kansas Medical Center in the Spring of 2022. Natalie writes, “Funding I received through Honors College grants allowed me to conduct research, defend my honors thesis at a conference, and gain invaluable experience through study abroad in Sweden. All of these opportunities helped shape my undergraduate experience at the University of Arkansas and played a crucial role in acceptance to my dream graduate program. They simply would not have been possible without generous grants from the Honors College.” 

Phillip  Oravec  (B.A., international studies, cum laude,’18) conducted research for his honors thesis in the Republic of Georgia through an international internship with the Georgian government. He subsequently published an article on this research, coauthored with  mentor  Ted Holland,  titled  “The Georgian Dream? Outcomes from the Summer of Protest, 2018,” in  Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization, 27(2), 249-256.   

Quinn Simkins  (B.S.B.A, accounting and finance, summa cum laude, ’18), together with his brother  Austin  (B.S., agricultural business ’14;  M.B.A., ’17), launched Simkins Brothers Sweets in 2017  with  their grandmother’s recipe for chocolate poppers. The Northwest-Arkansas-based chocolate company  won a $10,051 prize in  Idea Fame, an online pitch competition launched by the Startup Junkie team. They also brought home a $5,000 cash prize after winning second place in the Collegiate Venture Competition hosted by the University of Central Arkansas’s Conductor team. The Simkins brothers have expanded the line to include natural peanut butters  and  Chirpies, chocolate-covered, gluten-free sweets made with cricket flour, and their  products can be found throughout the Midwest.   

Pearson Wade  (B.S.Cmp.E., minors in mathematics and physics, cum laude, ’18) is a computer engineer for the Department of Defense at Eglin Air Force Base. He writes, “The Air Force is fully funding my graduate studies to develop my career as a leader in the Air Force. I plan to earn my degree in three semesters, graduating in December 2020.” 

Molly Evans (B.Arch., magna cum laude, '17) is working on competition submissions as an architectural intern at Olson Kundig in Seattle. 

Weston Grant (B.A., biology and psychology, cum laude, ’17) completed an M.S. in biomedical sciences and will begin medical school at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine in the fall. He writes, “My time conducting and writing my research thesis during undergrad prepared me so well to thrive in graduate school and eventually medical school. I never thought that I would be interested in conducting my own research, but because of my honors thesis I have continued my research throughout graduate school and will have an opportunity to bring my ideas to clinical trials during medical school. Plus, every medical school interview that I had asked me about my research and provided me with a great point of conversation that the interviewers were very interested in. That led to my getting accepted at every medical school where I interviewed.”

Shannon Hart (B.A., psychology, minor in human development and family sciences, summa cum laude, ’17) is serving as national phone campaign manager in the U of A’s Office of Annual Giving, where she and her student fundraisers raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for scholarships, resources and building improvements every year. Shannon is currently applying to graduate schools.

Jake Kyte (B.A., journalism, cum laude, ’17) is now an account coordinator at The Monument Group in Austin, Texas. He is serving on teams executing strategic communications campaigns, crisis management and brand development for both local and national clients with Texas interests.  The Monument Group’s work covers a wide range of fields, including the technology, transportation and energy sectors.  

Jonathan Main (B.S.E.E., minor in computer science, magna cum laude, ’17) is a software engineer at L3 Technologies in Rockwall, Texas. 

Justin McVeigh (B.S.B.A., finance, minors in accounting and economics, summa cum laude, ’17) is a turnaround and restructuring analyst at Alvarez & Marsal in Dallas.

Jake Smith (B.S., kinesiology, minor in biology, pre-med concentration, magna cum laude, ’17) is pursuing dual degrees in medicine and public health at UAMS and is founder and executive director of 1and1 Ministries, a Christian organization dedicated to the personal and spiritual development of young student baseball players, both on and off the diamond. The organization has established locations in Jonesboro; Barranquilla, Colombia; and Condega, Nicaragua; and continues to grow. Jake is also working with orthopedic surgeons in one of the largest public hospitals in northern Nicaragua, providing surgical devices. Jake writes: “I hope to use my degrees globally, with my non-profit, as well as shape policy stateside.” 

Nezly Silva (B.A., social work and Latin American and Latino Studies, magna cum laude, '17) has moved to Washington, D.C., where she is a research associate with FWD.us, a bipartisan non-profit organization working to pass immigration reform. 

Corbin Stinnett(B.A., history, magna cum laude, ’17) is currently a medical assistant at Sager Creek Pediatrics & Family Care in Siloam Springs. He is serving a one-year term as a student representative on the board of the Arkansas Society for the History of Medicine and Health Professions and continues to serve on the board of the Arkansas Country Doctor Museum in Lincoln. This fall, he will start an M.Phil. in history and the philosophy of science and medicine at Cambridge University’s Downing College. After finishing at Cambridge, he hopes to attend medical school and/or pursue further graduate training in the history of medicine.

Christine Tan (B.S.I.B., management, B.S.B.A., supply chain management, minor in Chinese, summa cum laude, ’17) is director of operations at SupplyPike, a supply-chain software company in Fayetteville. 

Abby Terlouw (B.S., biomedical engineering, summa cum laude, '17) is currently pursuing her graduate studies at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Massachusetts.

Spencer Welch (B.A., economics and political science, magna cum laude, ’17) is attending Harvard Law School.  

Weston Barger(B.A., computer science; B.S. mathematics, summa cum laude, ’16) earned an M.S. in applied mathematics at the University of Washington in Seattle where he is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the same field. He already has two publications and an internship at NASA under his belt and is about to begin an internship at Microsoft Research.

After completing her career as a student athlete at the U of A, Teni Butler (B.S.Ch.E., summa cum laude,’16) joined a soccer club in the Division I Södra Svealand league. Teni writes: “I was immediately able to step in and impact the back line for the team and help them finish third in the league for the season. I experienced total immersion into Swedish culture including a four-month homestay in Visby, Gotland Sweden.” Teni then returned to her home state of Tennessee to work for the Eastman Chemical Company, where she was recently promoted to anew position as a Cellulose Esters Coatings Tech Service Rep.She currently serves as chair for the East Tennessee Local Section of AIChE, and is an active member in the United Way ofGreater Kingsport campaign team.

Olivia Caillouet (B.S., horticulture, minor in sustainability, cum laude, ’16) was among the first group of students chosen to participate in the Professional Awareness, Advancement and Development program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation to support graduate students in STEM fields. She will receive professional development opportunities, access to industry, government and nonprofit leaders, and a travel allowance. Caillouet was also awarded the 2018 Garden Club of America’s Hope Goddard Iselin Fellowship in Public Horticulture. She will use the $5,000 award to implement educational signage at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, then research the impact of the signs on visitor learning. Olivia is honored by the opportunity, which meshes well with her graduate studies in agricultural education, communications and technology at Bumpers College. “I believe plants have an incredible ability to enhance our life, heal our planet, and strengthen community.” 

Ailon Haileyesus (B.S., biomedical engineering, minor in Spanish, summa cum laude, ’16) is a development engineer in the Spine Division of Stryker Corporation. She recently traveled to the Aravind Eye Care Center in Madurai, India to observe surgeries and visit Stryker’s manufacturing center with local doctors and engineers to provide feedback and areas for improvement. 

Mark Haney (B.M., B.S.B.A., finance, magna cum laude, ’14; M.M., choral conducting, '16) is working in Latin American business development for Kognity, a Stockholm-based publisher of electronic textbooks for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Bethany Knight (B.S.Bm.E.,cum laude, ’16) is currently in the second year of physician assistant school at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicines in Tulsa. She expects to graduate in December 2019 and hopes to practice as a health care provider in endocrinology in Northwest Arkansas. Bethany writes, “The Honors College allowed me to study abroad in Sweden and to participate in Health Teams Abroad, which further confirmed my passion for health care. … It fueled deeper thinking about why I wanted to pursue health care in the first place. I cannot wait to work with children who have endocrine problems and help them realize they are so much more than their disease and that the disease is not what defines them.”

Russell Locetta (B.S.M.E., magna cum laude, ’16) is employed with Shell as a mechanical engineer at the Deer Park Refinery and Chemical Plant in Houston. 

With typical Honors College dexterity, Abigail MacDonald (B.S.W., minor in general business, cum laude, ’16) completed both an M.S.W. and an M.B.A. last spring from Washington University in St. Louis from the Brown School of Social Work and the Olin Business School respectively. Abigail is now a loan fund administrator and impact analyst at Mercy Investment Services in St. Louis. 

Skylar Mann (B.A., criminal justice, summa cum laude, ’16) is currently employed as the HR & Finance Manager at Shine Solar, and is planning on pursuing a Master’s degree in criminology at the University of Arkansas. “I was able to attend the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences' annual conference in Denver, CO during my senior year,” Skylar writes. “With help from the Honors College grant I received I had the amazing opportunity of presenting my thesis research. It was a great experience that prepped me for defending my thesis.”

Armin Mortazavi (B.S., biochemistry, summa cum laude, B.S., physics, ’16) is taking a year off from Georgetown University School of Medicine to participate in the National Institutes of Health Medical Research Scholars Program. He will be conducting immunotherapy research on brain tumors at the NIH and plans to specialize in neurosurgery.  

Danielle Neighbour (B.S.C.E., summa cum laude, ’16) completed a master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beiijing as a Schwarzman Scholar, a program that “sparked a (somewhat unexpected) love for China, its language, and its culture.” Danielle is currently a Schwarzman Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., where she is researching water recycling policy in China.   

Riley Nelson (B.S.B.A., finance, summa cum laude, ’16) is a risk consulting associate at KPMG in Dallas.

Andrew Pisechko (B.S.B.A., accounting, minor in information systems, summa cum laude, M.Acc., ’16) is employed with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation as a senior accountant and returned to Maputo, Mozambique as a full-time expat employee this July. 

Zoë Rom (B.A., English, cum laude, ’16) recently earned a master’s degree from the School of Environmental Journalism in the College of Journalism, Communications and Media at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She immediately landed her dream job as the morning host and co-producer of news and a news magazine for Aspen Public Radio, the local NPR affiliate. Her work has appeared in Outside, Rock & Ice, Trail Runner, Backpacker Magazine, REI Co-op Journal, and Threshold.

“As I come to the end of my first year in graduate school, I have only grown in my thankfulness for the Honors College,” writes Claire Strutzenburg (B.S.H.E.S., human development and farm studies, minor in communications, summa cum laude, ’16). “I was far more prepared than I realized to begin the rigorous work and research,” she adds, commenting on her first year in the U of A’s M.A. in communications program.

“I am just sending you a quick note to let you know that I will be pursuing a masters at the University of Cambridge in international relations and politics,” writes Ian Wicks (B.A., international relations, psychology, and Spanish, summa cum laude, ’16). Ian spent the 2016-2017 academic year in Madrid, honing his fluency in Spanish by teaching English with the support of a Fulbright Fellowship. He was one of three U of A students and alums to receive the award in 2016.

C.W. Young (B.S.Cmp.E., with minor in mathematics, '16) has returned to his hometown, Magnolia, Ark., to work in process controls at the Albemarle Corporation. In his spare time, he's pitching in at the family farm and just bought his first set of four cows. 

Hilary Zedlitz (B.A., political science, Middle East studies, summa cum laude, ’16) is currently serving as an Assistant Port Chaplain at the Mission to Seafarers-Seattle. When she completes her service with the Seattle Service Corps, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in political science.

Sean Bryant (B.A., history, international relations and Middle Eastern studies, cum laude, ’15), earned a graduate certificate in international security from Harvard Extension School and is completing a graduate degree in transportation and logistics management at American Military University. He is a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and writes: “I spent 2015-17 in Misawa, Japan, and have been at Osan, South Korea since then. Getting to see current events in Asia, from trade, negotiations with North Korea, and the first F-35s being delivered to Japan has been amazing. I have worked with the Australian Embassy in Seoul several times, and the information I learned as an undergrad was helpful in giving context for all of this.” He adds, “as a logistics officer, I rely heavily on the critical thinking, analysis, and writing skills that Fulbright and the Honors College especially emphasize.”

Jessica Luallen (B.A., European studies and international studies, minors in history and political science, cum laude, ’15) studied abroad at the University of Cambridge during her time at the U of A. This fall, she will begin an M.A. in intelligence and international security at King’s College, London. 

Padma Manavazhahan (B.S., biochemistry, summa cum laude, with minors in classical studies, gender studies, medieval and Renaissance studies, ’15) completed a master’s degree in humanities from the University of Texas at Dallas and has taken a job as regional associate director for the West Coast for the Hindu American Foundation. Padma writes: “I am involved in a few different things here in the area: working on textbook reform, engaging community members in interfaith work and other strategic programs, and helping with HAF projects that are going on around the country.”

As an honors undergraduate, Sarah Mayfield (B.S., food science, summa cum laude; B.S., biochemistry,’15) researched chocolate that may help your heart and boost your metabolism. As a graduate student here at the U of A she continues to explore interesting topics; currently she is studying the physicochemical properties of wines produced from grapes grown in Arkansas. She recently received the American Society for Enology and Viticulture President’s Award for scholarship in enology, the American Wine Society Educational Foundation scholarship and the ASEV-Eastern Section scholarship. She is the first U of A student to receive all three scholarships in the same year.   

Maggie McConnell (B.S.B.A, marketing, minors in economics and management, cum laude, ’15) lives in Bentonville and is an account executive for IN Marketing’s Tyson team.

Lindsey Rasmussen(B.A., Spanish; B.S., chemistry; magna cum laude; ’15) is a pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla where she is also a senior lab technician at Brewer Science.

Whiskey smuggling, murder, scandal and a “hanging judge” – a digital exhibit curated by Forrest Walker Roth (B.A., cum laude, history, ’15) has all this and more. The Deputy Marshal Addison Beck and Judge Parker’s Court collection launched last year and is now available worldwide, free of charge at University Libraries. Forrest used Addison Beck’s diaries in his honors thesis and writes: “Having these documents online is a boon for anyone interested in the American frontier. Deputy Marshal Addison Beck was murdered a long time ago, but these journals he wrote ensure that his legacy patrols onward in the digital age.”  

Nathan Scheperle (B.S., economics and mathematics, minor in physics, summa cum laude, ’15) works at General Motors as a software and business intelligence developer. This fall, he will begin an M.S. in interdisciplinary data science at Duke University. 

After completing her B.A. degree in economics, cum laude, in 2015, Cicely Shannon spent the summer interning in Michelle Obama’s office, where she helped the first lady respond to more than 2,000 letters each month. As a participant in the Truman Scholarship Summer Institute, she also attended special sessions and lectures with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Vice President Joe Biden and President Obama. She began a new job as an assistant bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis last fall.

Lindsey Swilley (B.S., public health, magna cum laude, ’15) completed an M.S. in occupational therapy and is an occcupational therapist at Lake Granbury Medical Center in Granbury, Texas. 

Lauren Underwood (B.A., psychology, minor in legal studies, magna cum laude, ’15) is marketing coordinator and administrative assistant at Collier Drug Stores, Inc. and is completing an M.Ed. in Human Resource and Workforce Development at the U of A. She writes, “I had many opportunities through the Honors College such as being a research assistant and a teaching assistant but my favorite experience was traveling abroad to Tanzania. That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” 

Matthew Watters (B.S.C.E., minor in geology, summa cum laude, ’15) received his masters in civil engineering at the U of A this spring, where he has been working at the College of Engineering.

Kelly Williams (B.S.N., summa cum laude, '15) is a cardiac staff nurse in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Avery Zorn (B.A., journalism, cum laude, ’15) is assistant director of communication for enrollment services at the U of A.

Terrance Boyd (B.S.B.A. in retail, cum laude, with minor in Spanish with business application, ’13; M.S. in operations management, ’14) is the director of recruitment and the Path Program at the Honors College. Terrance helped to develop the Path Program, which recruits and supports exceptional students from underrepresented populations.

Tera Bradham (B.A., broadcast journalism and Spanish, summa cum laude,’14;M.Ed., Texas A&M)is a Spanish teacher and head high school swimming coach at Meridian World School inRound Rock, Texas. She writes, “Because the Honors College Fellowship funded my undergrad education, I feel like I owe so much of who I am and where I've gone to the Honors College. I took a recruiting trip to Harvard before I signed with the University of Arkansas as an athlete, and I continue to tell people that I truly believe my education in the Honors College at the U of A was equivalent or better to any education I would have gotten across the country.” Tera has written a memoir, Swimming for Freedom about swimming, the Olympics, and a miraculous recovery from injury. It will be published in June 2020 to coincide with theTokyo Olympic Games.

Eric Carter (B.A., psychology, minors in biology and history, cum laude, ’14) is a manager at Eggshells Kitchen Company in Little Rock.

Wesley Clawson (B.S., physics, B.S.E.E., both cum laude, ’14, M.S.E.E., ’16) is pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience at Aix-Marseille University in France and planning post-doctoral study in the U.S. 

Mary McDade Casteel (B.A., history and communications, cum laude, ’14) earned an M.F.A. in film production from the University of New Orleans in 2017 and is now a freelance filmmaker. While pursuing her M.F.A., she made two short films and has served as director of photography on five short films. Professionally, Mary works as a camera utility and digital loader and recently wrapped production on the Netflix biopic "The Dirt." She is currently working on "Happy Death Day 2" with Blumhouse Productions.

John Erwin (B.A., English, ’14) is pursuing a master’s degree in documentary filmmaking at the U of A. Mike the Birdman, a 30-minute film that he completed with Paige Murphy and Ninette Sosa, was selected for the 2017 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. He will soon release a feature-length documentary film on the life and work of poet Frank Stanford (watch a trailer for the film here). John writes that the film “will not only cover oft-disputed biographical information but will also examine his legacy and the merits of his work both in and outside of the academy (especially the epic poem The Battlefield Where the Moon Says I Love You). The film’s visual style is heavily inspired by Irv Broughton and Frank Stanford's film It Wasn't a Dream: It Was a Flood(1974), a film the pair made together, which is itself an experimental documentary film on the poet's process.”

Gage Greening (B.S., biomedical engineering, summa cum laude, ’14; Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, ’19) completed his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at the U of A and is employed as a biomedical engineer at Nanomatronix, LLC in Fayetteville, where he interned while a Ph.D. candidate. Nanomatronix transitions novel bio-, nano-, and microelectronics technologies from the academic and R&D realms into the applied commercial realm. Before graduating, he completed a six-month internship at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston and was an author on not one, but three articles in his field! 

Mark Haney (B.M., B.S.B.A., finance,  , ’14; M.M., choral conducting, '16) is working in Latin American business development for Kognity, a Stockholm-based publisher of electronic textbooks for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Courtney Hill (B.S.C.E., minor in sustainability, summa cum laude, ’14) completed a master’s degree in civil engineering at the University of Virginia, where she is currently a third-year Ph.D. student in civil engineering. Her work in graduate school has been supported by National Science Foundation and Jefferson Fellowships. Courtney also works at the National Academy of Science in Washington, D.C., where her work has been supported by a Mirzayan Fellowship. She writes, “Because of the Honors College, I was able to study abroad in Belize and Denmark, which prepared me for a summer of research in South Africa, a project that got me involved in my current research at the University of Virginia. All of these experiences allowed me to obtain a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English in South Korea. I truly could not be more thankful for the Honors College, as I walked away with no debt from school and experiences that opened the world up to me.”

Steven James (B.A., biology, minor in general business, magna cum laude, ’14) completed his M.D. at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in 2018. His is a family medicine resident at the Cox Family Medicine Residency Program in Springfield, Missouri and plans to practice family medicine in Conway. 

Autumn Lewis(B.A., economics and political science, summa cum laude, ’14) has accepted a new position as the associate director of placement and operations at the Arkansas Academy for Educational Equity at the U of A.

Haley Prewett (B.S.B.A., accounting, minors in economics and sports management, magna cum laude, ’14) earned an M.B.A. at the University of Central Florida 2015 followed by an M.S. in sport business management in 2016. She is now Assistant Director, Athletics Finance at the University of Mississippi. 

Tyler Priest (B.A., international relations/European studies and political science, cum laude, ’14) earned an M.A. in diplomacy and international commerce from the University of Kentucky in 2016. He continues to work at the university and lives in Lexington.

Will Strickland (B.S.B.A. accounting, minor in finance, magna cum laude, ’14) writes to say, “During my junior year, I had the honor to receive the Libby Finch Award to study at the London School of Economics. …This has been extremely important as my job has taken me from Northwest Arkansas to San Francisco to Tokyo. Without the generosity of the Libby Finch Award, I would not have the same professional opportunities as I do today.” After stints with Walmart.com in San Francisco and Walmart Japan in Tokyo, Will has returned to Northwest Arkansas to work with Walmart’s External Financial Reporting team. 

Elizabeth Tillotson (B.S.I.B., international business, cum laude, ’14) is simultaneously owner, Senior Associate, and enrolled agent at Reliance Tax Group. She attributes much of her success to Mr. Charles Leflar’s honors course, in which she was enrolled during her senior year.

Terrance Boyd (B.S.B.A. in retail, cum laude, with minor in Spanish with business application, ’13; M.S. in operations management, ’14) is the director of recruitment and the Path Program at the Honors College. Terrance helped to develop the Path Program, which recruits and supports exceptional students from underrepresented populations.

Ellen Brune (B.S. Ch.E., ’09, Ph.D., Ch.E, ’13) is the owner and chief scientific officer for Boston Mountain Biotech LLC, a Fayetteville-based startup firm that offers a cheaper, faster way to manufacture protein-based pharmaceuticals. Ellen began working as an undergraduate with engineering professor Bob Beitle on the research that led to the new technology. 

Sadie Smith Casillas (B.S.C.E., summa cum laude, ’13), is currently pursuing her doctorate at the U of A, where she is focusing on asphalt emulsions and pavement recycling techniques. Big picture, her work centers on technologies that have the potential to significantly improve aging transportation infrastructure across the U.S. She was one of 150 doctoral students in the U.S. and Canada to receive a $15,000 Scholar Award from the Philanthropic Educational Organization, a group dedicated to supporting high-achieving women pursuing doctorates.

Melanie Curry (B.S., biochemistry, B.A., biology, cum laude, ’13) is completing Masters in Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at the Yale School of Public Health and plans on applying for jobs in public health emergency management. She spent summer 2018 working in the slums of Salvador, Brazil studying the ecological determinants of Leptospirosis infection. 

Michael Hartman (B.A., art history, German, summa cum laude, ’13) is a Ph.D. student in art history at the University of Delaware. After completing his doctorate, he hopes to pursue a curatorial career. Last November, his first major exhibition opened at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Looking largely to artistic representations that incorporated scientific observation and study, Extreme Nature! explored how depictions of distant landscapes, tumultuous atmospheres, and natural disasters enabled nineteenth-century viewers to reimagine the boundaries of the world around them. The exhibition was included in the New York Times Fall 2018 "Not to Miss" list of art exhibitions and was reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. Michael later travelled to the Yale Center for British Art and presented on the panel ""Curating Natural Disaster"" at a symposium addressing how museums can more actively address climate change and heighten public awareness of pressing environmental issues. 

Tai Huynh (B.S.Ch.E., summa cum laude, ’13) works for Riceland Food Corp.  Tai writes: “My Honors College research experience opened up many doors. As a matter of fact, at a conference where I presented part of my research, I was offered my current job.”

Kristin Kovach (B.S., physics, summa cum laude, ’13) recently completed a Ph.D. in physics at UT Austin, where she studied biofilms that surround and protect invading bacteria from the body’s immune system and antibiotics. She used physics to try to break down the physical strength of the biofilm, which involved “growing huge amounts of bacteria and then trying to kill them. It’s a daily battle.” She is now a process engineer at the Intel Corporation in Portland, Oregon. 

Rohit Mittal (B.S.B.A., finance with minors in accounting and Spanish, magna cum laude, ’13), is Equity Capital Markets Senior Analyst at Stephens, Inc. in Atlanta, Ga.

Christopher Moutos (B.S., biology and biochemistry, summa cum laude, ’13) will take a break from medical studies at U.A.M.S. this year to work at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. His research is funded by a fellowship through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and will focus on recombinant fibroblast growth factors, a protein with potential to more safely regulate metabolic control and diabetes. 

Last fall Laura Neumann (B.A., cultural anthropology and international relations, minor in gender studies, summa cum laude, ’13, began a two-year master’s program in cultural studies at Sabanci University in Istanbul, Turkey. Laura writes: “I was awarded a full scholarship for the duration of the program. For my thesis, I will research the preparation efforts for a large earthquake that is predicted to hit Istanbul at some point in the coming decades.”

Upon graduation, Mike Norton (B.S., agricultural business & poultry science, summa cum laude, ’13) served as a rural policy intern with the White House Domestic Policy Council in Washington, D.C., where he also interned with Congressman David Valadao and with the Delta Regional Authority. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in politics with an emphasis in comparative government at the University of Oxford.

Matt Owens (B.A., history and Spanish, minor in medieval and Renaissance studies, summa cum laude,’13) is pursuing a master’s degree in international education policy at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Matt writes: “I am particularly interested in peace education and the role the humanities and social sciences can play in teaching critical thinking skills, emotional intelligence, and global citizenship. After graduation, I intend to work developing curricula and cross-cultural programs that attempt to accomplish the above goals.”

Matt Seubert (B.S.B.A., economics, B.A., political science, summa cum laude, ’13) is now Director of Client Services with DataRank, a local startup with which he interned his senior year. 

Calli Verkamp(B.S., architecture, departmental honors, ’13) is a project architect with Wheeler Kearns Architects in Chicago. Currently she is leading design work on the Momentary, a 63,000-square-foot former Kraft Foods cheese plant that will be transformed into a satellite event/exhibition space for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The new venue will also house the museum’s artist-in-residency program and will include a series of site-specific installations. Site work is slated to begin in late 2018, with an official opening expected for early 2020. 

Ray Walter (B.S., mathematics and physics, magna cum laude, with additional major in economics, ’13) completed his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Arkansas last spring, at age 24. His dissertation on “Large-Scale Atomistic Simulations of Complex and Functional Properties of Ferroic Materials” was supervised by Laurent Bellaiche. He also plans to defend a dissertation in mathematics that concerns “Wave Equation for the Kohn Laplacian on Quadric Manifolds,” supervised by Andrew Raich. He has contributed to eleven peer-reviewed articles and has another under review at Physical Review Letters on negative capacitance. Ray lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; to better accommodate his disease he is seeking remote collaboration opportunities that would allow him to remain based at the University of Arkansas.   

Anna (Ward) Weaver (B.S., international business and information systems, minors in economics and German, summa cum laude, ’13) is business operations manager at Pariveda Solutions in Dallas. 

Some U of A graduates reshape our nation’s capital figuratively, but Joe Weishaar (B.Arch., magna cum laude, ’13) has won the opportunity to do so literally. In 2016 Joe won an international competition to design a $30-plus-million World War I memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue. Working with New York sculptor Sabin Howard and UA landscape architecture professor Phoebe Lickwar, Joe conceived “The Weight of Sacrifice,” which was chosen over 350 other submissions. Officials hope that the memorial can be completed by 2019 and inaugurated during the centennial commemorations of the war.

Mariel Young (B.A., anthropology and Spanish, with a minor in psychology, magna cum laude, ’13; M.Phil in human evolutionary studies, Cambridge University, ’14) was coauthor of an article published in the American Journal of Primatology. The article, which grew from her undergraduate research with Peter Ungar, analyzed the effects of habitat variation on capuchin and howler monkeys. Young is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in human evolutionary biology at Harvard, where she studies the evolutionary and developmental genetics of pelvis formation. 

Elizabeth Caruth (B.A.; European studies, German and international relations; minor in history; magna cum laude; ’12) completed an M.A. in international studies at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies in 2014. She is now the senior program coordinator at the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies in Washington, D.C.

Akihiro Eguchi (B.S. in computer science, '11, and B.A. in psychology, '12, both summa cum laude), will continue to explore his interest in programming artificial intelligence this fall, when he will begin doctoral studies in the field of computational neuroscience at Oxford University.

Nathanael Franks (B.S., physics, magna cum laude, ’12; M.B.A., Walton College, ’14) is pursuing a second master’s degree from Walton College, in accounting. He was named the 2014-15 Southeastern Conference H. Boyd McWhorter Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in recognition of his standout efforts in the classroom. Franks is Arkansas’ first male winner of the prestigious award, and will receive a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship. He was also a 2014-15 finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.  

J.P. Gavin (B.S.B.A., accounting, with minor in economics, cum laude, '12; M.Acc., ’12) is now a CPA, working in assurance services with Ernst & Young. 

Amee J. (Salois) Hennig (B.S., physics and English (creative writing), summa cum laude; ’12) is putting both of her degrees to good use as the media content manager at the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences.

Caitlin Howle (B.A., English, creative writing concentration, cum laude, ’12) expects to complete an M.A. in English this fall at Rhode Island College and is working at Trinity Repertory Company, a Tony-award winning theater. She was recently accepted into the Rhode Island Foundation’s 2019 class of Emerging Leaders, a competitive program to train the state’s next leaders. 

Drew Johnson (B.S.B.A., economics and finance, magna cum laude, ’12) is a member of the Harvard Business School class of 2019 and is the incoming special assistant to the president of the Dallas Federal Reserve. Drew writes, “I met my wife, Britt, in the Honors College! We wound up studying abroad in India together.” 

Sarah Kaminski (B.S., kinesiology, cum laude, ’12) says that the honors experience helped prepare her for her role as the coordinator of U of A Cares, where she sees that students in distress are connected with the proper resources. After graduating, she earned a master’s in adult and higher education from the University of Oklahoma at Norman and a graduate certificate in women's studies and gender studies from Loyola University in Chicago. Sarah writes: “The added academic challenge of the Honors College experience enriched my undergraduate experience at the U of A. The opportunity to spend several years on a research team in the Sports Biomechanics Research Group taught me how to work with others and create a strong relationship with my advisor.”

Honors relationships do not end at graduation or with distance writes Mary Alice (Patton) Keller (B.S.E., communications disorders, minor in psychology, magna cum laude, ’12). She says: “I continue to cherish the friendships that I made while enrolled in the Honors College. … Eleven of us continue to get together once or twice a year for a ‘reunion’ despite living all over the U.S., and at times, on different continents.” Mary Alice completed an M.A. in speech pathology at the University of Memphis and is now a speech-language pathologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, where she lives with her husband Brian Keller (B.A., American studies, ’12).

Erika Kirsch (B.S.B.A., management, minor in economics, magna cum laude, ’12) is a consultant and business analyst at Cerner Corporation in Denver.

Julia Lyon (B.S. in biological sciences, with minors in math and Spanish, summa cum laude, ’12) is pursuing a medical degree at University of Arkansas Medical School, and plans to specialize in pediatrics. 

Brian McCaster (B.S.I.B., minor in Spanish, cum laude, ‘12) completed an M.Ed. in higher education at the U of A in 2014 and is currently a first-year advisor at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

Alice McMillan(B.S.B.A., marketing, minor in Spanish-business orientation, cum laude, ’12) was selected as one of four “ATX Women to Watch” by Austin Woman Magazine. She serves as director of strategic initiatives at the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where she leads advocacy, education, research and the award-winning Hispanic Austin Leadership program. This executive leadership program has generated a seven-figure economic impact in Austin and was recently named one of the top seven Hispanic Chamber leadership programs in the nation. 

After completing dual degrees in biology and Spanish, summa cum laude, in 2012, Marie Morris is pursuing a medical degree at Washington University School of Medicine. 

Luke Osborn (B.S.M.E., summa cum laude, ’12) was selected for the 2019 Forbes “30 Under 30” in science for producing prosthetics with the ability to feel. Since completing his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, he has moved on to a postdoctoral position at JHU’s Applied Physics Laboratory, where he continues to develop systems to understand and link the brain to the nervous system.  

Blake Puryear (B.S., computer science, cum laude, ’12) is cofounder of Phactual LLC, an online content publishing company, and is the technology and project management lead for Hayseed Ventures, a venture capital production studio. In addition to monetary investment, Hayseed Ventures works directly with companies to improve operations.

Randy Roeser (B.S., biochemistry, minor in Spanish, magna cum laude, ’12) received his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and is an associate at the law firm of Haltom & Doan practicing patent and trademark litigation. Randy writes, “The undergraduate research I participated in with Dr. Sakon [professor of biochemistry] was very influential in my decision to attend law school and pursue a career in patent law.”

Spencer Shinabery (B.S. in chemistry, summa cum laude, ’12) is pursuing a Ph.D in synthetic organic chemistry at MIT. He writes: “I’m a member of the MIT-Novartis Center for Continuous Manufacturing. Our goal is to develop technologies to allow the continuous manufacture of pharmaceuticals under a single roof. Most drugs made using batch chemistry have to be shipped from site to site with each site specializing in a single reaction. Ideally, continuous flow allows raw chemicals to go in one end, and ready-for-consumption pills come out the other.” Spencer’s work on this project helped him win a National Defense Science and Engineering Fellowship from the Department of Defense.

Jesse Sutmiller (B.A., mathematics, magna cum laude, ’12) is a mathematics instructor at Lavaca High School in Lavaca, Ark.

Gracen Armendariz earned a B.S. in education, magna cum laude, in 2010 and completed her M.A in teaching in 2011. She is now working as a pre-kindergarten teacher for Fayetteville Public Schools.

Meredith Brown (B.S.N., summa cum laude, ’11) is a registered nurse with the Mayo Clinic in the Neuro ICU, where she served a 16-week externship between her junior and senior years at the U of A.

Ethan Carter (B.S. chemical engineering with minor in environmental, soil, and water science, cum laude, '11) is working on a sustainable business MBA online through Marylhurst University and working as a health, safety and environmental coordinator for Southwestern Energy in Conway, Ark.

After earning her B.S. in business administration, cum laude, 2010 and a master’s degree in accounting, 2011, from the University of Arkansas, Cassaundra Drake is working as an audit associate for Deloitte & Touche, LLP in Dallas, Texas.

Akihiro Eguchi (B.S., computer science, ’11, B.A., psychology, ’12, both summa cum laude) completed a doctoral degree in computational neuroscience at Oxford University (’17) and is now working for Microsoft Japan as a developer support engineer. Aki writes: “We mainly support software engineers at various enterprises in Japan who are interested in developing products with the technology we offer, which include Azure Cognitive Services, Hololens, Kinect, etc. I've been in the field of research for the past five years as a Ph.D. student, but I was curious what the developers in general outside the lab really expect from us researchers. I've been enjoying talking with many engineers every day.”  

After earning a bachelor of social work degree with a combined major in African and African-American Studies and a minor in Spanish, summa cum laude, 2011, Elena (Hampton-Stover) Froelich completed a masters degree in social work at the University of Kansas. She is now a therapeutic case manager with KVC, a contract foster care provider in Kansas City, Kansas.

David Fryauf (B.S.E.E., magna cum laude, ’11) completed a Ph.D. in electrical engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2016 and continued postdoctoral work in the same lab for two more years, focusing on the design, fabrication and testing of optical coatings for protected silver mirrors. In July he began work as a TD Process Engineer at Intel Corporation in Rio Rancho, NM. David writes: “I’m developing thin film processes for Intel's new Optane 3D Xpoint memory devices, which may eventually combine the performance of RAM and solid-state flash into a universal memory technology."  

J.P. Gavin (B.S.B.A., accounting, minor in economics, cum laude, ’11, M.Acc., ’12) is with EY (formerly Ernst and Young) in Dallas. 

Never doubt that teachers make a difference, especially when it comes to forming future teachers. Noel Gieringer (B.A., anthropology and English, summa cum laude, ’10, M.A.T., secondary education, ‘11) says, “I remember Dr. Coon challenging my thinking in History of Christian Monasticism. I watched Dr. Candido perform as he taught Shakespeare. … Dr. Erikson helped me write a thesis I am still proud of. … These moments stand out to me now as I try to teach my own students with both care and rigor.” Noel is now an English teacher and student council advisor at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock.

Sarah Griffis (B.A. in classical studies and English literature with a minor in religious studies, summa cum laude, '11) is completing a Master of Theological Studies in New Testament and Early Christianity at Harvard University. She plans to obtain a Ph.D. in religion and teach at a research university.

Jennifer Herrera (B.S.Ch.E., cum laude, ’11) has worked her way up from a 2010 internship with global pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. to her new role as a sourcing specialist, where she is responsible for managing the Clinical Outcome Assessment Licensing & Translation and Specialty Labs categories that support global clinical studies. 

William Hogan(B.A., political science/European studies, minors in Latin American studies and Spanish, cum laude, ’11) completed an M.A. in geography at the University of South Carolina in 2013 and an M.A.T. in secondary education at Northwestern State University in 2016. He is now an academic advisor in undergraduate studies at Florida State University.

Robert Ivers (B.S.B.A, finance, cum laude, ’11) is a customer category manager at Newell Brands.

Jesse Lassiter (B.S. degrees in business administration and mathematics, magna cum laude, '11) completed a master's degree in economics at the University of Notre Dame.

Lydia Lawless earned dual undergraduate degrees (bachelor's degree in agricultural, food and life sciences in food science and B.A. in Spanish, with a minor in global studies in agricultural, food, and life sciences, summa cum laude, 2008) and recently completed a Ph.D. in food science from the University of Arkansas. She is currently seeking a job as a sensory science consultant.

Clint Linder (B.S. business administration in economics, B.A. in marketing, cum laude, '11), is a STO Rotational Trainee with Shell Oil in Houston, Texas.

Camila Maldonado (B.S. chemical engineering, magna cum laude, '11) is an intern at the Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) in San Diego, Calif. This fall she will begin work on a master’s degree in engineering and project management at the University of California, Berkeley.

Tyler McBride (B.A. in English and journalism, magna cum laude, '11) completed a master's degree in teaching at the University of Arkansas and is now employed by the Greenland School District, Greenland, AR, as an 8th grade English teacher. He will present his research findings at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in Las Vegas, Nevada, this November.

Barry Motter (B.A., psychology, cum laude, ’11; M.A., counseling psychology, University of Denver, ’13; Ph.D., counseling psychology, University of Northern Colorado, ’17) is a licensed psychologist at Counseling and Psychological Services of Seattle University. 

Katherine Rutledge (B.S.B.E. with minor in German, cum laude, ’11) is pursuing a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of South Carolina. 

Stuart Shirrell (B.S. in mathematics, cum laude, ’11) is tackling some of the developing world’s toughest problems as manager for IDinsight, a non-profit firm that evaluates social programs. He has helped to evaluate a rural sanitation program in Cambodia, a preschool nutrition program in India, and a malaria program in Uganda, among others.

Haley Stephens (B.A. political science and economics, minor in African American Studies, summa cum laude, '11) is a attending Vanderbilt Law School. 

Amy Wallace (B.S., business economics, cum laude, ’11) spent 2012-2015 as a Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar where she was a community economic development volunteer working with a women's silk-weaving cooperative. She completed a master’s degree in public policy at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy and lives in Brooklyn while working at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. 

Rani Achhireddy (B.A. anthropology and international relations, with minors in Asian studies and political science, magna cum laude, '10) recently completed her M.Ed. in higher education at the University of Arkansas. She has been a valued member of the Honors College recruiting team and is now an admissions counselor for the U of A.

Adam Barito (B.S.M.E, B.S. physics, summa cum laude, ’10; Ph.D., physics, University of Michigan, ’15) has a postdoctoral research assistantship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Adam writes: “I’ll be doing research in the Physical Measurements Laboratory at NIST on flexible electronics (mostly focusing on flexible solar cells).” 

Seth Barlow (B.A. international relations and Russian, with minors in political science and business management, cum laude, '10) recently completed a master’s degree in tourism administration in sports management from the George Washington University.

Justin Fengler (B.A., international relations; B.S. international business; minors in Asian studies and economics; summa cum laude; ’10), like many other honors grads, has made a career in an internet-based company. Justin is senior vice president for corporate strategy and business development at GoodRx, a company founded by Yahoo and Facebook alums that allows consumers to shop local pharmacies for the lowest price on prescription drugs.

Jonathan Franklin (B.S.B.A., marketing, cum laude, ’10) completed his D.D.S at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2012 and is currently an associate dentist at Smile Center Dental in Austin, Texas.

Never doubt that teachers make a difference, especially when it comes to forming future teachers. Noel Gieringer (B.A., anthropology and English, summa cum laude, ’10, M.A.T., secondary education, ‘11) says, “I remember Dr. Coon challenging my thinking in History of Christian Monasticism. I watched Dr. Candido perform as he taught Shakespeare. … Dr. Erikson helped me write a thesis I am still proud of. … These moments stand out to me now as I try to teach my own students with both care and rigor.” Noel is now an English teacher and student council advisor at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock.

Adam Glasier (B.A., political science, economics and Spanish, summa cum laude, ’10; M.B.A., Harvard Business School, ’14) worked at two startup companies while pursuing his M.B.A., then worked at Walmart in the finance and strategy group of the U.S. business division. Currently he is director of finance at NOWDiagnostics Inc., a Springdale, Ark.-based company that specializes in innovative diagnostic testing. 

David Haynie (B.A., journalism and political science, minor in religious studies, magna cum laude, ’10) lives in Dallas, where he received a J.D. from SMU’s Dedman School of Law and is a founding partner of Forster Haynie. David writes, “While I was attending the University of Arkansas, I was lucky enough to be included in the inaugural Tibetans in Exile Today (TEXT) program led by the great Sidney Burris and Geshe Dorjee. … While working to preserve the stories of Tibetans that had to flee Tibet, I was able to discover that I wanted to dedicate my life and career to something more. … After graduating in 2010, I decided to go to law school. While in law school, I knew that I wanted to be a plaintiff's attorney so I could help people harmed by the acts of others. I have now opened my own nationwide firm where we represent people that have been injured in an accident, wronged by their employer, or injured by a pharmaceutical drug or medical device.”

Emily Hollingsworth(B.S., biology, cum laude, ’10) earned a Doctor of Chiropractic from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City, Kansas, and now owns Hollingsworth Chiropractic & Acupuncture in Hot Springs. 

Kevin Lammers (B.A., psychology and drama, cum laude, ’10) earned his law degree at the University of Illinois in 2014 and is Benton County deputy public defender. 

Rachel Lee (B.S. degrees in physics and chemical engineering with a minor in mathematics, summa cum laude, '10) is now a doctoral student in the physics program at the University of Maryland-College Park. She writes: “I have started working with Dr. Wolfgang Losert at the University of Maryland in collaboration with Dr. Carole Parent at the National Institutes of Health on a project to determine the forces that are responsible for the motion of cells. It is a very interesting project and has applications in fields such as wound healing and cancer treatment.”

Trish Lopez (B.S.E., childhood ed., and B.A., Spanish, summa cum laude, ’10, M.A.T., ’11) is currently pursuing an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at Arkansas Tech, while also holding a bilingual teaching position at Elmdale Elementary School.

Samantha Meadors (B.S., mathematics, magna cum laude, ’10; M.Div., Iliff School of Theology, ’13) is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist church and serves as director at the Wesley Foundation at Arkansas State University. 

Noel Runyan (B.A. in history and classical studies, with minor in medieval and renaissance studies, magna cum laude, '10) is currently attending the U.S. Navy Nuclear Power Training Command in Goose Creek, South Carolina, where he is studying to become a nuclear propulsion electronics technician. Upon completion of his curriculum and receiving orders to the fleet, Runyan will be responsible for the maintenance and safe operation of a nuclear reactor aboard a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine.

Katherine Shreves (B.A., international relations, French and European studies, summa cum laude, ’10) earned an M.A. in arts and cultural management at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Upon graduating from the University of Arkansas, Katherine spent three years teaching in Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. After earning her Master’s she interned with the Edinburgh International Festival, and has since returned to Japan, where she is a part-time Lecturer of English in the Kanazawa City area. 

Gregory Smith (B.S.E., kinesiology, magna cum laude, ’10) earned an M.D at UAMS and is finishing his anesthesiology residency, after which he will become the first Interventional Pain Fellow at UAMS. 

Mac Stephen (B.A., biology, cum laude, ’10) earned his M.D., M.M.Sc. from Harvard University, taking time off between his third and fourth years to earn a master’s degree in global health care delivery. He has researched health care issues in Haiti as part of the non-governmental organization Partners in Health, and plans to practice as a primary care provider after completing his residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University. 

Daniel Weatherall (B. S. in biology, summa cum laude, '10) will begin his third year at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School this fall. He’s considering practice in the fields of emergency medicine, internal medicine or general surgery. 

“I have been on assignment in the north of Chile for the last two years,” writes Angela White (B.S.Ch.E., minor in mathematics, magna cum laude, ’10), who is employed as an engineer for Albemarle Corporation.  In Chile, she has been working on Albemarle’s expansion of its battery-grade lithium plant.

Casey Worrell (B.A. architecture, cum laude, '10) is an architectural designer in the Los Angeles office of Gensler, a global architecture, design, planning and consulting firm. He writes: “I am in the mixed use/entertainment studio, and have worked mostly on large-scale shopping centers. Right now, a lot of our work is in Asia.” 

Ben Barr(B.S.B.A., finance and investment, cum laude, ’09) is the treasurer of Aethon Energy in Dallas.

Bethany Larson Bloch (B.A., history, cum laude, ’09) earned an M.A. in journalism at Syracuse University in 2010 and is currently managing editor at Gatehouse Publishing.

Ellen Brune (B.S. Ch.E., ’09, Ph.D., Ch.E, ’13) is the owner and chief scientific officer for Boston Mountain Biotech LLC, a Fayetteville-based startup firm that offers a cheaper, faster way to manufacture protein-based pharmaceuticals. Ellen began working as an undergraduate with engineering professor Bob Beitle on the research that led to the new technology. 

Matt Chesnut (B.S.B.A., finance, with minors in accounting and political science, magna cum laude, ’09; M.B.A., Harvard Business School, ’14) works in corporate development for the Chickasaw Nation. 

Stephen Coger (B.A., English with minors in Spanish and Latin American studies, magna cum laude, '09; J.D., University of Washington School of Law, '14) was an advocate for human rights in Tamil Nadu, India, as an American India Foundation William J. Clinton Fellow. Currently he is an attorney at Catholic Charities Immigration Services in Springdale, Ark., where he works to maintain or restore family unity for low-income immigrants from around the world, and particularly from Mexico and Central America.  

Drew Fleming (B.S. mechanical engineering with minors in mathematics and physics, magna cum laude, '09), is pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Arkansas, funded by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.

Jonathan Langley (B.A., English and French, cum laude, ’09) earned an M.A. in French in 2011 at the U of A, where he currently serves as assistant director in the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards.

Bethany Larson (B.A. in history, cum laude, '09) completed a master’s degree in journalism at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and is now assistant editor for Newmarket Press & It Books, part of HarperCollins Publishers.

Shannon Sanders (B.A., journalism, minors in anthropology and English, cum laude, ’09) is a senior video producer at ABC News. Previously she spent four years at National Geographic as a producer/editor creating short-form documentaries. Her work has been recognized by the National Magazine Awards, the White House News Photographers Association and the Society for News Design.  

Cheryl Silveri (B.S., biology with a minor in general business, cum laude, ’09) is pursuing an M.B.A. degree at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, with plans to “continue growing my startups.”

Blake Strode (B.A. in Spanish and B.S.B.A. in economics, magna cum laude, ’09, J.D. Harvard, ’15) is working for Arch City Defenders, a nonprofit that strives to prevent and end homelessness among the indigent and working poor in St. Louis, his hometown. 

Daniel Allen completed B.S. (cum laude, '08) and M.S. ('10) degrees in geology at the U of A, and is now a senior geologist with Core Laboratories in Houston. He’s excited about the Honors College’s new home: “As a geology major and then a graduate student in geology, I spent A LOT of time in historic Ozark Hall [now Gearhart Hall]. It was like a second home to me in grad school! I'm sure it will be a pleasure for the geosciences department to soon share the building with the Honors College when the extensive renovation and expansion are complete.”

Erica Parkhill Cason (B.S.E., kinesiology with minor in Spanish, summa cum laude, ’08; D.P.T., magna cum laude, University of Central Arkansas, ’11) is working as an outpatient physical therapist for Conway Regional, specializing in manual spine rehabilitation. She and her husband Andy have also launched a business called The Go Store that is stocked with supplies to support a project called Operation Christmas Child. This program sends out gifts in shoe boxes to children in war-torn and poverty-stricken countries around the world.

After completing a bachelor of fine arts degree in studio art (ceramics) with a second major in German, cum laude, in 2008, Mary Elkins earned a master of fine arts degree in craft/material studies - ceramics at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. She is now teaching ceramics at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.

Trenton Ellis (B.S. chemical engineering with minor in mathematics, magna cum laude, '08) is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He focuses on geotechnical engineering with emphases on reliability-based design, risk analysis and earthquake engineering. He hopes to return to Arkansas after completing his degree: “The New Madrid Seismic Zone contains uncertainties on so many levels … it makes the design of infrastructure very difficult in northeast Arkansas. I would enjoy spending my career helping with that.”

Rachel Fiori (B.A. in classical studies, magna cum laude, ’04, M.D., U.A.M.S., ’08) is practicing psychiatry in Fort Smith and serves on the Honors College Capital Campaign Committee. 

Megan Garner (B.A. in graphic design, magna cum laude, '08) earned a master’s degree in multimedia journalism from the University of Miami and is now an online news producer with Education Week. Past projects have sent her to Kenya, Greece and Ecuador.

Donna Graham (B.S., human environmental sciences, with minor in marketing, ’08; M.S., human environmental sciences,’11) is director of employer relations for the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

Antoinette Grajeda (B.A., journalism and Spanish, magna cum laude, ’08; M.A., journalism, ’16) is a producer and reporter for “Ozarks at Large,” the daily news program for KUAF 91.3 FM, the NPR affiliate serving Western Arkansas. She participates in the NWA Gridiron Show, which raises money for scholarships, and has volunteered with the Lemke Journalism Project since 2008. This six-week program teaches high school students about journalism and encourages them to pursue higher education. 

Sarah Mesko (B.M., flute and vocal performance, summa cum laude, ’08; M.M., vocal performance, Rice University, ’10) returned to campus last fall to present an Honors College House Concert in Gearhart Hall – it was a rare treat to hear a rising opera star in such an intimate setting! While on campus, Sarah made time to present a master class to current vocal students.  She made her Metropolitan Opera debut last December in The Magic Flute. 

Russell Moore (B. S. in finance-financial management/investments, with a minor in economics, magna cum laude, '08) is a national bank examiner in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Laura Pittman(B.S.H.E.S., apparel studies, minors in French and marketing, summa cum laude, ’08) is a planner for fine jewelry at Walmart and lives in Rogers with husband Hal and daughter Tessa. 

Gale Raymond (B.S., biology, magna cum laude, ’08; D.V.M., Louisiana State University, ’12) is a veterinarian at Banfield Pet Hospital in Aurora, Calif. Gale writes: “One of the most rewarding parts of being a veterinarian is when I am able to save a pet’s life. Many diseases have a grave prognosis if not treated but when they are diagnosed and treated the prognosis for survival is good. With preventive care, such as regular blood work, I am able to make a diagnosis and start treatment early in a pet with a chronic disease so that the pet has a better quality of life and a longer life. I also love cases that are challenging to diagnose and cases that allow me to learn something new.” 

Summer Scott (B.S. chemical engineering, cum laude, '08) heads a Freeport, Texas plant for Dow Chemical that is the world’s largest producer of epichlorohydrin, a key ingredient in epoxy resins that are used in adhesives, paints and other materials. 

Sarah Tarvin (B.A., German and European studies; M.A., German, ’08; M.A.T., University of Washington, ’12) teaches and coordinates a team of English teachers at the Sur College of Applied Sciences in the Sultanate of Oman. Sarah writes: “I take every possible opportunity to travel and, in addition to thoroughly exploring Oman, I have spent time this year in the UAE, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Serbia, South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Canada and the Cayman Islands. I also still work as a freelance travel writer and photographer, as well as a travel advisor, something which I hope someday gets the bulk of my attention.”

John Terry (B.A., history and classical studies, minor in German, summa cum laude, ’08) completed master’s and doctoral degrees in history at the University of Virginia and teaches history at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta. For Slate, he has penned “Why Isn’t ISIS Medieval” and “An Election for the Dark Ages” as well as “Shushaku Endo’s Swamp” for First Things. Last year the Washington Post published his op-ed, “Why teaching World War I is crucial in 2018.” 

Kelly Toner, who graduated in 2008 with a B. S. in nursing, summa cum laude, will participate in college ministry mission work in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for one to two years. Following her internship, she plans to work as a nurse and possibly earn a master’s degree in public health, then work overseas. “I would love to be a refugee camp nurse someday,” she writes.

Grant West (B.A., geography, with minor in history, cum laude, ’08; M.A., geography, University of Arkansas, ’11) taught human and physical geography at NorthWest Arkansas Community College and Missouri Southern State University before returning to the U of A as a program associate in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness.

After earning a B.S. in chemistry with a minor in mathematics, magna cum laude, in 2008, Blake Williams earned a medical degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He is now a resident physician in dermatology at U.A.M.S. 

After earning B.A. degrees in political science and communication and minors in Spanish, gender studies and legal studies, cum laude, 2007, Dwayne Bensing spent two years teaching science and social studies to middle school students in Philadelphia as a Teach for America corps member. He recently completed his J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and is studying for the bar exam. He will begin work as an associate with Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver, Jacobsen, LLP, in Washington, D.C. this fall.

Shelly Buffington (B.S. in chemistry with a biophysical emphasis and a with minor in biology, summa cum laude, '07) is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and a NIH predoctoral fellow. Her thesis focuses on the structural plasticity and molecular diversity of the axon initial segment, a part of the neuron that plays a central role in cell-to-cell communication. Following her defense in early September, she will begin postdoctoral work at BCM, studying molecular mechanisms of learning and memory.

Clark Donat (B.A. in history, magna cum laude, '07) earned his J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law and is now an attorney at Bracewell & Giuliani LLP in Dallas, Texas.

Brent Harbaugh(B.A., classical studies, minor in philosophy, magna cum laude, ’07) earned a master’s degree in ancient history at Ohio State in 2012 and in May, completed a doctor of osteopathic medicine and a master of arts in bioethics at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He began an anatomic and clinical pathology residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center in July. 

Aimee Jones (B.S. in biology with minor in music, magna cum laude, '07) plans to complete a master’s degree in speech-language pathology at the U of A next May, followed by a nine-month clinical fellowship. She hopes to promote literacy by working in public schools.

Ryan Miller(B.S.B.A., management, minors in human environmental sciences, marketing, and recreation, cum laude, ’07) completed an M.Ed. in higher education at the U of A in 2009 and will be starting a graduate certificate in non-profit management in the fall. Ryan is now the director of the UA Little Rock Alumni Association after several years at the U of A Alumni Association. Reflecting on his experience as an Honors College Fellow and U of A employee, Ryan writes, “I always felt like I wasn't a ‘traditional’ honors student. I took H2P and all my honors classes, but I also changed my major five times. But because of the Honors College, I was able to explore and discover who and what I wanted to be. I was able to study abroad during one of the more challenging times in my life in the wilderness of northern Canada. I went on to do my graduate work in higher education and worked as a GA under the amazing Maribeth Lynes. As my career began at the University of Arkansas, I was able to see from the outside the full impact the Honors College has on students.”

Tyler Nix (B.A., English Lit., with minor in psychology, cum laude, ’07) is pursuing a master of science in library science at the University of Kentucky. He plans to work in medical and/or digital information services. 

Hunter Riley (B.A. in economics and B.A. in international relations and political science, with minor in Spanish, summa cum laude, ’07; M.P.S., Clinton School of Public Service) is a field director for Peacework. He plans international development projects in coordination with in-country community allies and U.S.-based institutions. He is also cofounder of Schlep, a moving company.

Terry Vo (B.A., international relations, minors in Asian studies and Japanese business orientation, cum laude, ’07) completed a master’s degree in governance and public policy in 2014 at the University of Queensland in Australia. She is an external affairs specialist at Comcast Cable Communications in Nashville. Nashville Business Journalnamed Terry one of its 40 under 40 for 2018 and she recently completed the prestigious Leadership Middle Tennessee program. Outside of her professional life, Terry is the president of the Nashville Chapter of the Arkansas Alumni Association, where she works to reengage alumni with the U of A. She writes, “I am so thankful to the Honors College for not only encouraging me but also providing grants so my fellow peers and I could study abroad. In my career, I have worked on three continents and if it hadn't been for the support for the Honors College, I may have never studied abroad on the European Studies Tour the summer of my freshman year. Being able to explore 12 cities and expand my horizons allowed me to be fearless when my first job opportunity took me overseas to Japan. … Thank you so much for the opportunity that changed my life.”

Zachary Wagner (B.A., history, summa cum laude, ’07) earned his J.D. at the University of Colorado and is now employed with the O’Connell Law Firm, P.C. in Denver, Colo.

Greg Ziser (B.A. in political science with minors in legal studies and Spanish, summa cum laude, '07) recently completed his J.D. at Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Wash. He began work as an assistant attorney general for the Washington State Attorney General’s office in August.

After graduating from the UA, Drew Cogbill (B.A. in music and chemistry, summa cum laude, ’06, M.F.A. in design and technology from Parsons the New School for Design, ’09) spent a year coordinating volunteer opportunities for UA students and professors with Peacework in Belize. He worked on a tourism website for the town he lived in and that led him to apply to Parsons and eventually, to his current gig as an executive producer at Small Planet Digital, a New York City agency that specializes in mobile app design and development.

Zach Cooley (B.Arch, summa cum laude, ’06; M.Arch, Princeton, ’09)is licensed in New York and has left Diller Scofidio to work for Brandon Haw Architecture, started by a former partner with London architect Norman Foster. The firm focuses primarily on high-end residential projects, commercial and institutional work with projects under construction in Miami and in Bogota and Cartagena, Colombia. 

Corey Coston (B.S.B.A., accounting, summa cum laude, ’06) is part of a team of Walton College graduate students who have won more than $80,000 in a series of state and national business plan competitions for their biotech startup, VivImmune. The company focuses on developing cancer therapies that teach immune cells to recognize, destroy and remember tumor cells. Corey is also assistant dean of finance for the Honors College and teaches accounting in Walton College. 

Tyler Davis (B.S.A., animal science, magna cum laude, ’06)  graduated from the Paul W. Barrett, Jr. Graduate School of Banking at Christian Brothers University, Memphis in 2014 and is market president with Diamond Bank in Ashdown. In January, Governor Asa Hutchinson appointed Tyler to the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission. 

Dawn Koltes (B.S., animal science, cum laude, ’06) completed a master’s degree in animal breeding and genetics and a doctoral degree in genetics, both at Iowa State University. She is currently a post-doctoral researcher at Iowa State. 

Andrea Lawson(B.S.B.A, marketing management, minor in Spanish, ’06) lives in Greenbrier and is a senior production tech at Southwestern Energy.

After serving two years in Cameroon with the Peace Corps, Jessica Rogers (B.A. in history and French, magna cum laude, '06) has worked in administration and finance at the Peace Corps’ headquarters in Washington, DC. Currently a budget analyst in the Office of the CFO, she writes: “I support Peace Corps Response (a short-term, high-impact program for returned Peace Corps Volunteers and qualified professionals) and the programming & training office.” 

Elizabeth Smith (B.A., political science, summa cum laude, ’06) continued her graduate education at the U of A, receiving an M.Ed. in higher education leadership in 2008 and a Ph.D. in public policy focusing on education policy in 2016. She is now assistant professor and chair of the Department of Education at the University of Tulsa. She writes, “I will say that taking H2P is what really taught me to examine issues through a lens of interdisciplinarity. Learning in an interdisciplinary context as an undergrad influenced my decision to complete an interdisciplinary doctoral program and influences my research, teaching, and work as department chair even now.”

Kelly Sullivan (B.S.I.E., with minor in mathematics, summa cum laude, ’06; Ph.D., industrial and systems engineering, University of Florida, ’12), an assistant professor of industrial engineering at the U of A, has been selected for the Glover-Klingman Prize for his paper “Exact algorithms for solving a Euclidean maximum flow network interdiction problem,” published in the journal Networks. Kelly’s research centers on the design of critical systems whose disruption poses a threat to homeland security. He teaches courses in network optimization, operations research, and probability and statistics. 

Ayo Yusuf (B.Arch., cum laude, ’06) earned his M.U.D. from Harvard University in 2008. He is currently an urban designer with Perkins Eastman, one of the largest urban design firms in New York City.

Emily Baker (B.A. architecture, summa cum laude, '05; M.Arch., Cranbrook Academy of Art, ’12) has recently returned to Fayetteville in a tenure-track assistant professor of architecture position at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. Her prior teaching positions include a stint at Tulane University after three years at the American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. 

Penney Berryman (B.A. sociology, summa cum laude) is a senior analyst at the National Business Group on Health in Arlington, Va.. Berryman has written articles, which have appeared in the Huffington Post. She completed a master's degree in public health in 2005.

Joseph Edelstein (B.S.B.A., finance, minor in business Spanish, cum laude, ’05; M.B.A., Emory University, ’11) is a Chartered Financial Analyst Charterholder and is employed as a research analyst with Johnson Asset Management in Cincinnati.  

Blanca Cecilia Gonzalez (bachelor's degree in agricultural, food and life sciences, in food science, cum laude, '05) and her husband Nate Tarter recently returned from a year in Haiti, where they worked with World Relief Haiti and partner churches to serve the most vulnerable. As a project manager in the agriculture livelihoods program, she helped to establish a demonstration farm, produce grafted fruit trees and distribute goats, all “with the purpose of helping rural communities and farmer groups increase their production and income.” Gonzalez continues to support socio-economic development programs in Haiti as a liaison between the field office and World Relief’s headquarters in Baltimore, Md.

Don Nix (B.A., anthropology and sociology, summa cum laude, ’05) earned an M.S.W. at the University of Missouri, Columbia and now serves as the ASAP Bridge Program coordinator at the U of A and is a lead instructor in the Center for Learning and Student Success.

James Roller (B.S., physics, minors in mathematics and pre-law, cum laude, ‘05, J.D. 2008) is corporate counsel for Stephens Production Company in Fort Smith.

Elizabeth Smith (B.A. political science, summa cum laude, '05) completed a master's degree in higher education at the U of A and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in public policy. She is currently serving as the university's Director of Education Renewal Zone.

Ellen Turpen Wehrman (B.S. public administration with a minor in French, cum laude, '05) is the associate dean of students at Marietta College. She writes "I oversee Campus Involvement at Marietta College, which is a fitting position given the many hours I spent organizing campus organizations and student events in between writing political science papers." Wehrman obtained a master's in higher education administration and policy from Loyola University Chicago in 2007.

 

Rachel Fiori (B.A. in classical studies, magna cum laude, ’04, M.D., U.A.M.S., ’08) is practicing psychiatry in Fort Smith and serves on the Honors College Capital Campaign Committee. 

Chris Baribeau(B.Arch., cum laude,’03), together with Modus Studio partnersJosh Siebert (B.Arch. '02) and Jason Wright (B.Arch.’04), received a 2019 AIA Small ProjectAward for a recent project, the Bob and Sunny Evans Tree House. The tree house is a popular feature in the Evans Children's Adventure Garden at Garvan Woodland Gardens, the UA’s botanical garden in Hot Springs and part of the Fay Jones School. Modus Studio is a Fayetteville-based architecture and prototyping firm responsible for many award-winning, sustainable designs in Northwest Arkansas and beyond.

Katie Bridges(B.A., French and journalism, magna cum laude, ’03) earned an M.A. in French from the U of A and an M.P.S. with a concentration in journalism from Georgetown University. She is now the editor Arkansas Lifemagazine in Little Rock.

After completing her B.A. in anthropology, minor in history, magna cum laude, ’03, Emily Feuerherm lived and studied in Switzerland and attended the Handels und Dolmetscherschule for two years, learning German. She completed her Ph.D. in linguistics at the University of California Davis in 2013 and is now an assistant professor of linguistics at the University of Michigan, Flint. Emily writes: “I still remember so many of my H2P classes: the professors were amazing, my cohort was supportive and interesting, and the field trip to Memphis was unforgettable!”

David Norris (B.S. in physics, summa cum laude, '03) recently completed his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Maryland and is now a National Research Council postdoctoral research associate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md. He writes: “I work in the research group of Nobel Prize winner Bill Phillips on experiments involving ultra-cold atomic gases and quantum computing. Prior to this, I spent a brief stint in the corporate world at a Facebook partner company, applying math skills to social media data mining problems; but soon realized that my heart was really still in the lab. Turns out that once you do science for long enough, you will never want to do anything else..."

Jeffrey Sparks (B.S., physics, minors in history and mathematics, summa cum laude, ’03) completed his M.D. at U.A.M.S. and is an associate physician in the division of rheumatology, immunology and allergy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital; he also teaches at Harvard Medical School.   

Andrew Wehrman (B.A. history with minor in education, magna cum laude, '03) earned a masters of arts degree in teaching at the U of A, then master’s and doctoral degrees in history at Northwestern University. He is now an assistant professor of early American history at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio.

Tara Reid (B.S.B.A., marketing, cum laude, ’02) is data and insights director for oOh! Media in Sydney, Australia.