University of Arkansas

Despite coming from halfway across the state, thanks to the U of A's Engineering Career Awareness Program, Montavius Eason already had "great friends" before arriving for his freshman year at the U of A. The program, also called ECAP, is designed to support students with financial need, particularly first-generation college students, as well as students from areas that are less well-represented at the U of A. ECAP offers financial assistance and a three-week summer bridge program to help students transition into university life. Throughout their time on campus, students receive continuous support and resources, including mentorship, professional development and career guidance.

John Plavcan and Abigail Ross, two doctoral candidates with the Graduate Program in English, have received Dissertation Research Awards for 2026 from the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The grants, each for $8,000, are annually presented to Ph.D. students who have been nominated by their departments and selected by the college. Plavcan and Ross will use their awards to travel for the purpose of researching their respective dissertation projects.

Competing alongside leading researchers from around the world, honors biomedical engineering student Connor Robinson earned third place for Best Overall Poster at the 2026 International Microphysiological Systems Society World Summit in Washington, D.C., in May.

Four University of Arkansas students have received English Teaching Assistant Awards through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and one student has been named an alternate for the prestigious international exchange program.

The University of Arkansas honored its most recent graduating class with a series of spring commencement ceremonies. Recordings of ceremonies are available on the U of A YouTube channel, and printed program books are available online. For more information, please visit commencement.uark.edu.

When Cameron Mercer started helping University of Arkansas students move out of their dorms during his freshman year, he was simply trying to make some extra spending money. Four years later, the business he built from those early move-in and move-out jobs has grown into Boss Hog Moving Co., a student-focused moving company serving Northwest Arkansas. Mercer says the Master of Science in Product Innovation (MSPI) program at the Sam M. Walton College of Business helped him think differently about how to scale it.

Emanuel Ferrari do Nascimento, a U of A master's degree student in crop, soil and environmental sciences, has been named a 2026 Borlaug Scholar by the National Association for Plant Breeding. Nascimento, who is from Brazil, is part of the Arkansas Soybean Breeding program, led by assistant professor Caio Canella Vieira in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences.

Students achieving academic excellence have been named to the University of Arkansas Spring 2026 Dean's List. The honor recognizes undergraduates with GPAs of 3.75-3.99 and law students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The Spring 2026 Dean's List is available online. Students on the Chancellor's List who achieve a 4.0 grade-point average for the semester while completing at least 12 credit hours of coursework, also automatically earn recognition on the university's Dean's List.

The U of A's Italian Program proudly welcomed 17 outstanding students into its chapter of Gamma Kappa Alpha, the national Italian honor society, during its annual initiation ceremony in April. Gamma Kappa Alpha recognizes exceptional academic achievement in the study of Italian language, literature and culture at colleges and universities across the United States and Canada. The honor society promotes a deeper appreciation of Italy's rich cultural heritage while encouraging continued scholarly excellence among its members.

The U of A is recognizing students for earning a place on the Spring 2026 Chancellor's List. To qualify, undergraduate students must attain a 4.0 GPA for the semester while completing at least 12 credit hours of coursework. The Spring 2026 Chancellor's List is available online. All students on the Chancellor's List also automatically earn recognition on the university's Dean's List, which honors undergraduates who achieve a minimum grade-point average of 3.75 for the term while completing at least 12 credit hours.

The American Oil Chemists' Society recently recognized two food science researchers with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station for contributions to science in their field. Ali Ubeyitogullari, an assistant professor of food engineering, was presented with the society's Health and Nutrition Division New Investigator Research Award, and Sumanjot Kaur, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Food Science, received the Thomas H. Smouse Memorial Fellowship.

When Katie McKay walks across the graduation stage this May, she'll be the third McKay sibling to earn a degree from the U of A College of Engineering. Her older brothers pursued computer engineering and computer science, but she took a different path, one that would lead her to discover a passion she never expected.

One student's goal to get more involved outside of academics paid off with two internships after getting connected with the Office of Entrepreneurship & Innovation (OEI).

Fort Smith native Isabella McCoy has always been curious about how things work. Fortunately, her choice to major in data science was a good fit. "Going into data science gives me the opportunity to do work across a wide variety of fields," she says, "and the ability to analyze these fields and learn about why they are the way that they are. Now a junior, Isabella is on track to graduate in 2027 with a bachelor's in data science, with concentrations in business data analytics and social data analytics, as well as a minor in mathematics.

A total 85 Arkansas student-athletes earned their way onto the 2025 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll as part of the league's total of 1,514 student-athletes. The 2025 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll includes the sports of cross country, football, soccer and volleyball. It is based on grades from the 2025 Spring, Summer and Fall terms.

All musical artists need access to a marketplace, and Hill Records at the U of A is providing that connection for Arkansans. The record label, which is completely student-run, creates promotional campaigns for Arkansas artists while providing hands-on learning for students interested in the music business. In "Short Takes: On the Record," Hill Records president Abbie Petersen, director of operations Natalie Jenz and Malibu Moon singer/songwriter Blake Diaz give a behind-the-scenes look at what makes their experience with the label so unique.

About 200 sorority members, alumni and supporters gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new Alpha Phi chapter house at the U of A. The $25 million, 37,000-square-foot facility will be located on Sorority Row at the corner of West Maple Street and North Wilson Avenue. Construction begins this spring, with the house scheduled to open in August 2027.

The College of Engineering's pipeline of aspiring engineers keeps growing. A record 746 first-year students declared their majors during Decision Day events, surpassing last year's mark of 726.

No matter where your path at the U of A takes you, the Substance Education, Assessment & Recovery program at Pat Walker Health Center encourages all Razorbacks to Stay RazorSharp. SEAR provides direct individual and group interventions to university students with alcohol, cannabis and other substance-related concerns and offers a variety of research-based prevention, early intervention and recovery support services.

University of Arkansas faculty and students recently introduced local elementary school students to computer science through the Hour of Code program. Organized by the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the program paired university student volunteers with children from kindergarten through fourth grade to complete hands-on coding activities.

Senior Ashton Laurent's path to Senior Walk began in elementary school in his hometown of Pine Bluff, when he began playing the violin, then the viola, sparking his passion for sharing music. Now a senior on track to graduate with a bachelor's in music education in May 2026, he is currently interning in the Bentonville School District teaching orchestra and general music. He plans to continue his studies after graduation, and has been acceptedinto the Master of Music in Black Sacred Music program here at the U of A - the only one of its kind in the nation.

The University of Arkansas School of Art, housed in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, is hosting the United States International Poster Biennial, a juried exhibition with stops across the world. The exhibition, at the Studio and Design Center, offers community members a comprehensive survey of poster designs from around the world, which includes several designs from School of Art faculty and students. A highlight of the exhibition is a dedicated U of A wall showcasing work by U of A-affiliated designers and emphasizing the institution's growing impact in international design spaces.

From planning when and how a package of bacon is going to be produced to when you pick it up and place it in your grocery cart, Allison Primm's influence is there from start to finish. An associate product manager for Tyson Foods, Allison, a native of Rogers and a 2023 graduate from the University of Arkansas, is responsible for leading cross-functional teams responsible for the planning, production, distribution and marketing of Wright Brand and Jimmy Dean bacon - which produce and distribute millions of pounds of bacon each year.

University of Arkansas Student Involvement and Leadership, along with Associated Student Government, announced the Top 20 Homecoming Queen and King candidates, who will advance to interviews for selection as the top seven finalists. The student body will then vote for the 2025 Homecoming Queen and King. Registered student organizations and Greek chapters nominate candidates. To qualify, candidates must complete at least 90 credit hours, plan to graduate in the 2025-26 academic year, hold a minimum 2.25 GPA, enroll full-time, and maintain a record free of conduct or academic integrity violations.

For the past three years, the Golden Cardinal search has been a staple for A-Week participants. A small, three-pound metal cardinal is hidden on campus, and a new clue is published each day of A-Week, leading students one step closer to finding it. This year, the Golden Cardinal was hidden in the brush at the bottom of the Garland Parking Garage and found by freshmen Andrea Sikora and Katie Tucker.

At the mention of Rome, Italy, the taste of gelato, the sight of the Colosseum and the smell of freshly made pizza probably spring to mind. But for students and faculty at the University of Arkansas Rome Center, Italy's capital city means more than these top-of-mind tourist tropes. Instead, it's an educational hub centered in a city more than 2,000 years old, with access to remarkable architecture, extraordinary art and the opportunity for cultural immersion.

With family and friends witnessing, the Razorback Battalion - the University of Arkansas 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.

Nine music students from the University of Arkansas' Department of Music, 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.