University of Arkansas

The University of Arkansas Global Campus chose 34 students to receive the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship in the 2025-26 academic year, totaling $62,000. The Manning Scholarship helps support U of A students studying in online undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Many of these students remain in their communities, work full-time and take care of their families while earning a degree. "We are committed to helping students overcome what we know is the greatest barrier to higher education - the need for financial support," said Cheryl Murphy, vice provost for distance education and leader of the Global Campus. "With a small fund established after longtime staff member W.E. Manning died in 1993, Global Campus has continued to grow the scholarship fund to increase the number of awards we make. Funds committed by Global Campus, along with contributions from generous donors, make this possible. The students who receive this scholarship are making significant contributions in their communities and workplaces," she said. The Global Campus scholarship committee selected recipients based on their financial need, academic merit and significant community service. Preference was given to first-generation higher-education seekers and Arkansas residents. Learn more about U of A online students on the Student Experience page of the U of A ONLINE website, where online degree programs are showcased. Anyone can donate to the scholarship fund online.

Three University of Arkansas students were awarded the highly competitive Goldwater Scholarship, an honor established by Congress in 1986 to support college students pursuing research careers in science, mathematics and engineering. Student researchers Abhinav Komanduri, Jared Noel and Ian Popp will receive $7,500 from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Foundation. "Research is a core enterprise at the University of Arkansas, and undergraduate research is a key component of that research," said Charles Robinson, chancellor. "It is an important aspect of our approach to teaching as well. Congratulations to them, their research mentors, their departments, and their colleges." With these three new recipients, 67 U of A students have earned this prestigious recognition since its inception.

University of Arkansas's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences honored nine students in five different majors with annual academic awards. Students recognized include Cason Frisby, Presidential Scholar; Tristen Avent, Dale Bumpers Distinguished Scholar; Eniola Ola, Dale Bumpers Distinguished Scholar, Dallis Beverlin, Dale Bumpers Distinguished Scholar; Sally Hamm, John W. White Outstanding Student; Riley Swofford, Spitze Public Policy Legislative Internship Award; Reese Mitchell, Stanley E. Reed Internship Award; Ashley Rivera, Bumpers College Alumni Society Rising Senior Award; Jasma Holland, Bumpers College Alumni Society Scholarship. Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs.

Twenty-nine recently graduated Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences students were selected to be part of the U of A's latest class of top graduating seniors by the Arkansas Alumni Association. They are part of the 2023 class of 71 "Seniors of Significance" from across the U of A. "Congratulations to these new alumni on this achievement. They are among the very best of Fulbright College and embody, in so many ways, our mission of peace through education," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. "They are leaders in their classrooms, in student government, in research, in their social circles, in their communities, and beyond," Sloan added. "As new graduates, they represent the immeasurable value of a Fulbright College degree and of higher education. These 29 students are the best of us, and we're so grateful they're part of the Fulbright College alumni family." The "Seniors of Significance" recognition is part of the Arkansas Alumni Association's Senior Awards Program, which honors students' excellence in leadership, academics and co-curricular activities. More information about the significant history and legacy of the Senior Awards Program is available at arkansasalumni.org.

The University of Arkansas honored its most recent graduating class with a series of spring commencement ceremonies at Bud Walton Arena and Barnhill Arena, and the School of Law's ceremony at the Fayetteville Town Center. Chancellor Charles Robinson emphasized the significance of this milestone for students and the broader community, "Graduation is not just a celebration of academic achievement, but a testament to the resilience and hard work of our students, the dedication of our faculty and staff and the steadfast support of loved ones who helped make this day possible. As these students step into the next chapter of their lives, they carry forward the spirit of excellence that defines the University of Arkansas. We are proud to recognize their accomplishments and look forward to seeing the impact they will make in Arkansas and beyond." Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs, more than 100 major fields of undergraduate study, over 90 master's programs and more than 50 doctoral programs. The university is consistently ranked among the top public universities in the nation and as one of the few colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. Recordings of all ceremonies are available on the U of A YouTube channel, and printed program books are available online. For more information for families and guests, please visit commencement.uark.edu.

Main Hill Media, the student-run advertising agency, won eight awards from the Associated Collegiate Press, and Hill Magazine, the student-published feature magazine, was second nationally in best of show.

More than 2,000 students were named to the Fall 2024 Chancellor's List in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. To qualify for the Chancellor's List, students must achieve at least a 4.00 grade-point average for the semester while completing at least 12 credit hours. "Earning a place on the Chancellor's List is an extraordinary achievement that speaks volumes about these students' dedication to their scholarly pursuits," said Brian E. Raines, dean of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. "This honor exhibits their unwavering commitment to reaching for the highest levels of academic success." "We also want to acknowledge the families, supporters, Fulbright College faculty and staff, and the broader University of Arkansas community, whose encouragement and guidance have been instrumental in supporting these students throughout their journey." Raines added. "We are incredibly proud of these students and their exemplary hard work and passion for learning." More than 8,000 students call Fulbright College home and are pursuing areas of study and research across the fine arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. Learn more about Fulbright College at fulbright.uark.edu.

The University of Arkansas announced students who earned a spot on the Spring 2025 Dean's List. "We are incredibly proud of the students who have earned a place on the Dean's List this semester," said Provost Terry Martin. "Achieving this level of academic success is no small feat and is evidence of their dedication and perseverance in their academic pursuits. It is also a testament to the families, friends and mentors whose encouragement and support have been vital to their academic journey." Undergraduates who earned a grade-point average between 3.75 and 3.99 during the semester while completing at least 12 credit hours were named to the Dean's List of their respective colleges. School of Law students who earned a 3.0 grade-point average or higher during the semester were named to the Law School Dean's List. The Spring 2025 Dean's List is available online.

The University of Arkansas is recognizing students for making the Spring 2025 Chancellor's List. "Achieving a perfect GPA while taking a full schedule of classes is a testament to these students' hard work, discipline and commitment to excellence," said Chancellor Charles Robinson. "Congratulations to everyone who earned a place on the Chancellor's List, and best wishes for continued success through graduation and beyond." To qualify for the Chancellor's List, undergraduate students must attain a 4.0 grade-point average for the semester while completing at least 12 credit hours of coursework. All students on the Chancellor's List also automatically earn recognition on the university's Dean's List, which includes scholars with a minimum 3.75 grade-point average. The Spring 2025 Chancellor's List is available online.

More than 1,100 students were named to the Fall 2024 Dean's List in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. To qualify for the Dean's List, students must achieve at least a 3.75 grade-point average for the semester while completing at least 12 credit hours. "It is with great pride that we celebrate the outstanding achievements of these students who have earned a place on the Dean's List this semester," said Brian E. Raines, dean of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. "This recognition reflects not only their academic excellence and dedication but also their resilience and commitment to learning." "We also want to recognize these students' families and supporters, the Fulbright College faculty and staff, and the wider University of Arkansas community who have all helped champion these students every step of the way on their pursuit of academic excellence," Raines added. More than 8,000 students call Fulbright College home and are pursing areas of study and research across the fine arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. Learn more about Fulbright College at fulbright.uark.edu.

Alassandra Holsted, a U of A undergraduate student majoring in communication, sociology and criminology, was recently recognized as the runner-up for the prestigious Stephen A. Smith Award at the annual meeting of the National Communication Association in New Orleans, Louisiana. This award is named after the founder of Lambda Pi Eta, professor emeritus Stephen A. Smith. It is presented by NCA's Lambda Pi Eta division to honor students who exemplify academic achievement in communication studies. Holsted was honored for a competitively selected research paper presented at the conference.

Lambda Pi Eta (LPH), the honor society for communication majors in the Department of Communication in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas, held their fall 2023 Induction Ceremony on Dec. 5. LPH welcomed 43 new members in the fall 2023 cohort. Students must be invited by Jake Dionne, assistant professor of communication and LPH advisor, to become members of the honor society after meeting the academic requirements. To be invited to be a member of Lambda Pi Eta, students must have completed 60 semester credit hours with a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA and completed 12 semester credit hours in communication studies with a minimum 3.25 GPA. Students in LPH are in the top 35% of their class and are encouraged to develop their studies through undergraduate research.

Over several weeks during the fall 2023 semester, Andrew Ruegsegger spent much of his free time exploring a small, undeveloped area on the south end of campus in search of plants. Ruegsegger, a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in anthropology and minoring in philosophy, biology and natural resources management at the U of A, was interested in learning more about botany, diverse native plant communities of the area and the process botanists use to document plants by collecting and preserving specimens in a herbarium.

Breannah Small, a student of African and African American studies and journalism/political science in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, has been accepted into the American Political Science Association's Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University and a summer research program at the University of Pittsburgh.

The Service Learning Initiative highlighted the success of University of Arkansas faculty and students at the 2023-24 Outstanding Contributions to Service Learning Award Ceremony on March 11 at the Cordia Harrington Center for Excellence.

University of Arkansas students, all of whom are students in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, scored big in the Next Gen(eration) Humanities Conference poster competition in Little Rock earlier this month, winning first and second place along with honorable mention. Every U of A student who attended the conference received recognition.

The U of A Speech and Debate Society was victorious again at the University of Central Arkansas' End of Hi-Bear-Nation Debate Tournament the weekend of Feb. 2-4. The team will next travel to Dallas Baptist University the weekend of Feb. 23-25. After that, they'll compete at the online Union University tournament March 1-3, before ultimately attending the IPDA National Tournament and Convention April 12-15.

More than 300 undergraduate students earned bachelor's degrees during the fall 2023 term in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. These graduates were celebrated on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, at commencement ceremonies in Bud Walton Arena. These undergraduate students earned their degrees in areas of study that span across one of four academic disciplines in Fulbright College: fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. "On behalf of our faculty, staff, and the entire U of A community, we offer you a big congratulations - you did it," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. "You survived the late-night study sessions, the group projects, the times of uncertainty, and so much more to reach this milestone." Videos of the live-streamed commencement ceremonies are also available on the U of A's YouTube channel. Printed program books were handed out to graduates and are available online.

With family and friends witnessing, the Razorback Battalion - the U of A Army ROTC - commissioned eight second lieutenants into the United States Army on Dec. 15, 2023. These second lieutenants went through at least four years of training here on campus and at various military installations throughout the country. The ceremony was held at Giffels Auditorium. The cadre at the Razorback Battalion are very proud of our newest lieutenants. They will be a great contribution to the U.S. Army.

On Saturday, Nov. 4, nine music students from the University of Arkansas' Department of Music, which is part of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, competed at the statewide Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition hosted at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. The Young Artist competition is open to students ages 19-26 who are currently enrolled in collegiate programs. The winners will have the opportunity to compete at the national level against winners from other states. "The MTNA National Competitions are the most successful and prestigious student competitions in the country," according to the organization's website. "Each year, thousands of students compete for top prizes and national recognition. The purpose of the Music Teachers National Association Performance competitions is to provide educational experiences for students and teachers and to recognize exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in their pursuit of musical excellence."

More than 900 undergraduate students earned nearly 1,200 bachelor's degrees this spring in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. These graduates were celebrated on Friday, May 12, at commencement ceremonies in Bud Walton Arena. These undergraduate students earned their degrees in areas of study that span across one of four academic disciplines in Fulbright College: fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. "On behalf of our faculty, staff, and the entire U of A community, we offer you a big congratulations, Class of 2023 - you did it," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. "You survived the late-night study sessions, the group projects, the times of uncertainty, and so much more to reach this milestone." The Fulbright College commencement website includes a complete list of our Spring 2023 graduates and information about our college's featured student speaker, Alex Alvarez. Videos of the live-streamed 2023 spring commencement ceremonies are also available on the U of A's YouTube channel. Printed program books were handed out to graduates and are available online.

Senior Grant Viscardis has been selected as the Student Leader of the Month for October 2023. Originally from Hot Springs, Viscardis came to the U of A to study biology. He is the president for EMPOWER RSO, leads the Global Brigades to Panama as the medical chairman, volunteers at the Full Circle Food Pantry, a Patient Care Technician at CHI St. Vincent Hospital in Hot Springs and is a research assistant in assistant professor Joisah Leong's FullStackNeuro Lab addressing the causation of substance use and early life stress on the mesolimbic pathway in the brain. Viscardis is also a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. Viscardis said he got involved in these organizations mainly to learn how to network and communicate with others while expressing his deepest passions.

The Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas recently named their 2023-24 Fulbright College Student Ambassadors, which is part of the college's Inclusive Excellence initiatives. The Fulbright College Student Ambassador Program, which began in 2021, selects high-achieving undergraduate students to aid the college in its recruitment efforts, student outreach programs, community engagement and professional development opportunities. The program has grown to include 15 qualified undergraduate student ambassadors for the 2023-24 academic year.

The Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences recently welcomed more than 1,800 first-year undergraduate students to the college and to the greater U of A campus community for the fall semester, adding to the 6,344-person university-wide freshman class and to the more than 32,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students at the University of Arkansas. This class marks the 151st class of freshmen welcomed to The Hill and to Fulbright College, joining the U of A from hometowns throughout Arkansas and the U.S. and across the world, to study subjects in one of Fulbright College's four academic disciplines: fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. "We want to welcome all incoming freshmen to the University of Arkansas, especially to the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences," said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. "We're so eager to see these students learn, research, serve, and lead during their time with us and are committed every day to their success."