University of Arkansas

Students, faculty and staff from the U of A Department of Poultry Science and the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science were recognized for excellence in research, teaching, service and leadership at the 2026 Poultry Science Association (PSA) Annual Meeting and World's Poultry Congress, both in Toronto. The department's strong presence included national awards, student competition honors, leadership roles and an extensive slate of scientific presentations showcasing the breadth of poultry research conducted in Arkansas.

DeShea Rigg, a graduate student and teaching assistant of Japanese in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures, has been awarded the J. Hillman Yowell Award for Excellence in Teaching for 2026. This award is given to a Fulbright graduate student who exemplifies outstanding contributions to the university and college's teaching mission.

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.

The Latino Alumni Society hosted its 2026 spring Meritos Latinos event on May 8. This annual event celebrates the achievements of our graduating student leaders and honors the society's 2026 award recipients. As a proud part of the Arkansas Alumni Association, Latino Alumni Society events are open to all U of A alumni and friends interested in coming together to celebrate community and achievement.

Nine students in five different majors in U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences received nine annual academic awards from the college at its annual student honors and awards reception.

Three U of A School of Journalism and Strategic Media students have received spots in the selective Dow Jones News Fund program, a record for the school. Keelin Fisher, Cooper Gant and Casey Mann were among 79 college students chosen out of more than 800 applicants for the training and paid summer internship program.

Jacob Holmes, a senior in the Department of Industrial Engineering, has been named the 2026 College of Engineering Outstanding Senior at the U of A. The college presents this honor each year to a graduating senior whose dedication to campus and the engineering profession reflect the values of the college.

Each year, Apparel Merchandising and Product Development students are tasked with creating original designs for the Enclothe fashion show. When junior Lillyanna Gigerich began developing her garment for the show, she wanted the project to call attention to suicide awareness and prevention. To bring that vision to life, she turned to the University of Arkansas Libraries for help connecting research with design.

Nine students and alumni from the University of Arkansas have received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, and one was recognized as an honorable mention. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship is one of the nation's most competitive and prestigious awards for graduate students pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees.

The College of Education and Health Professions recognized more than 100 students at its annual awards ceremony, celebrating their academic success along with the effort, mindset and commitment it took to make these achievements possible. Dean Kate Mamiseishvili applauded their determination, quoting New York Times best-selling author Koby Yamada's children's book, Finding Muchness: "How you do one thing is how you do everything. And anything worth doing is worth doing well."

Thirty students were named Senior Scholars for 2025-26, and each department in U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences has named its outstanding students for the year. Seventeen students are First-Ranked Senior Scholars, signifying a 4.0 grade point average with all coursework completed at the U of A, and 13 are Senior Scholars, signifying students with the highest GPA (also all 4.0s) with at least half of their coursework completed at the U of A.

The U of A Department of Industrial Engineering celebrated the achievements of its students during the annual Capstone Symposium and Student Awards Banquet at the Arkansas Union Verizon Ballroom. The full day of events highlighted a year of hard work, innovation and collaboration between students, faculty and industry partners. Industrial Engineering Department Chair Chase Rainwater said, "The Capstone Symposium and Student Awards Banquet are among our department's most important events of the academic year. They showcase not only the technical excellence of our students, but also their ability to create impact for industry partners."

University Recreation and Wellness hosted its annual End of Year Celebration. The celebration recognizes the academic and occupational success of UREC's student employees and club sport officers, acknowledging students for university honors, awards and graduation.

For fifth-year architecture student Joseph Hill, his approach to design is shaped by more than just the classroom. Growing up in Unterschleissheim, a small town near Munich, Germany, Hill was exposed to a different way of experiencing space, one that continues to influence his work today.

The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design recently announced that 109 students received scholarships and other awards through its 2026 Honors and Awards Recognition program. This year, nearly $400,000 was handed out through scholarships and awards that recognized various aspects of achievement among architecture, landscape architecture, and interior architecture and design students.

The U of A College of Engineering is proud to announce the winners of the 2025-26 Student of the Year Awards. These honors, presented by Engineering Career Connections, recognize students who have demonstrated exceptional technical skill, leadership and professional growth during their industry placements.

Four recent graduates from the Department of Communication's nationally-recognized Master of Arts program were honored with outstanding thesis awards at the 2025 National Communication Association Conference in Denver, Colorado. Notably, the department swept the M.A. thesis awards category for NCA's Master's Education Section.

University of Arkansas students, faculty and staff were recognized for their commitment to international education during an awards ceremony Nov. 21 as part of International Education Week. The event, held in the Graduate Student Lounge at Gearhart Hall, recognized students who earned awards and scholarships related to international education.

Kicking off the 2025-26 academic year at the University of Arkansas, the Gymbacks registered a new program high GPA and saw 14 athletes named Scholar All-Americans by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA). In the WCGA's academic report, Arkansas ranked 21st in the country for team GPA with a 3.72, also a new program high. The Gymbacks were ranked second among SEC teams in GPA and were one of 25 gymnastics programs that had a GPA of 3.70 or higher.

Samuel Ajala, a graduate student at the University of Arkansas Department of Communication, has been selected as National Communication Association 2025 Interest Group Award winner. He has been awarded the 2025 Activism and Social Justice Division Graduate Student Activist Award for his research and advocacy work in environmental communication, which is deeply rooted in community engagement.

The University of Arkansas English Department and the Program in Rhetoric and Composition are proud to announce the 2025 winners of the annual Jessie O'Kelly Freshman Essay Award. Qualified submissions were essays written for Composition I or II in the spring or fall semesters of 2024 and submitted for judging in spring 2025.

The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas recently honored 120 students with scholarships and other awards through its 2025 Honors and Awards Recognition program. This year, more than $288,000 was distributed through scholarships and awards that recognized various aspects of achievement among students in architecture, landscape architecture, and interior architecture and design.

The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas recently honored 120 students with scholarships and other awards through its 2025 Honors and Awards Recognition program. This year, more than $288,000 was distributed through scholarships and awards that recognized various aspects of achievement among students in architecture, landscape architecture and interior architecture and design.

Nicole Turner, a second-year graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program at the University of Arkansas, was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Lever Tuition Fellowship, which celebrates graduate students who enrich the U of A's community through their diverse perspectives and experiences, as well as supporting their academic endeavors.

The Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas named its Senior Scholars for the 2024-25 academic year. Twenty-six students from 13 different majors and concentrations were announced with eight students being First-Ranked Senior Scholars, signifying a 4.0 grade point average with all coursework completed at the U of A, and 18 being Senior Scholars, signifying students with the highest GPA (also all 4.0s) with at least half of their coursework completed at the U of A.

The University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences recognized nine students with annual academic awards for the 2024-25 academic year. Known for preparing leaders in food, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life, the college equips graduates as top candidates for employers seeking innovators and policymakers.

The College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas celebrated more than 100 outstanding students from every degree program for the 2024-25 academic year, including honors student researchers, senior and first-ranked senior scholars and college-wide award winners.

The Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas recently honored outstanding students for the 2024-25 academic year with prestigious department awards and scholarships valued at $251,291.

The Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas has recognized nine students with annual academic awards. Known for preparing leaders in food, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life, the college equips graduates as top candidates for employers seeking innovators and policymakers.

Twenty-nine recently graduated Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences students were selected to be part of the latest class of top graduating seniors by the University of Arkansas Alumni Association. 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.