“Alison and Morgan have both served BTĚěĚĂwell for the past few months. Even during this pandemic, they worked to launch new programs and expand existing ones to continue strengthening the connection with alumni,” said Mary Lackie, vice president of University Advancement. “I know they will continue to bring innovative ideas and opportunities to our alumni.”

During the spring semester, Alumni Relations launched two new initiatives: Bears Online Readers’ Den and Bears Supporting Bears Online Business Directory.

The Bears Online Readers’ Den is an online community that allows BTĚěĚĂalumni to connect and enjoy books related to lifelong learning, social issues, literature, psychology and other user-submitted ideas. Readers spend two months with each selected book. Discussions are held in a private online forum.

The Bears Supporting Bears Online Business Directory is a public online directory of businesses owned by BTĚěĚĂalumni.

The Bear Necessities e-newsletter was also relaunched in the spring.

Taylor and Drayton plan to continue evaluating current programming and looking for additional ways to engage alumni.

“I hope to extend our reach by increasing our networking opportunities for all alumni and providing additional resources to maintain those connections,” Taylor said. “I want our alumni to know that ‘Once a bear, always a bear,’ means we are here for you and all those bears that are to come.”

Taylor earned a Bachelor of Arts in English at Arkansas Tech. She also earned master’s degrees in college student personnel, as well as emergency management and homeland security, from Arkansas Tech.

She worked in alumni relations at Arkansas Tech in several roles including assistant director of the Office of Alumni Relations from 2008 to 2019.

Drayton earned a Bachelor of Art in psychology from BTĚěĚĂin 2014. She previously worked for Arkansas Federal Credit Union and the Arkansas Department of Human Services before becoming alumni relations specialist at UCA. In this role, Drayton will oversee the Association of Future Alumni and work to develop sponsorships and programming through business development.

Jack Bell ’77, Paul Bradley ’06, ’10, Kim Crissler ’84, ’95, Wes Dyson ’08, Maria Kramer ’14 and Lori Melton ’85 are the latest additions to the board.

Bell is the chief of staff for the city of Conway. He is a life member of the Lettermen’s Club and BTĚěĚĂAlumni Association. Bell earned a Master of Science in psychology.

Bradley is director of marketing at Conway Regional Health System. Bradley is a Conway native who speaks at career fairs and is a BTĚěĚĂAlumni Association life member. Bradley graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration.

Crissler served in the U.S. Navy for nine years and then worked for the Department of Veteran Affairs until his retirement in 2014. He is a Purple Circle member and a BTĚěĚĂAlumni Association life member.

Dyson is an account executive at Williamson Insurance Agency. He is a life member of the BTĚěĚĂAlumni Association. While a BTĚěĚĂstudent, Dyson was a fraternity member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He earned his bachelor’s in insurance and risk management.

Kramer is a physician recruiter for Conway Regional Health System. When Kramer was a student, she was a sorority member of Alpha Sigma Alpha. She currently serves as chapter adviser for the Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha at UCA. Kramer received her bachelor’s in public relations and speech communication.

Melton is the senior vice president at First Community Bank. A former chair of the BTĚěĚĂFoundation Board of Directors, Melton graduated with a bachelor’s in business.

The BTĚěĚĂAlumni Association Board of Directors develops and oversees the programs and budget of the association to advance the interests of the group. The board maintains 20 volunteer members, and each member has a three-year term.

The University of Central Arkansas received a $120,000 commitment over five years from Acxiom. This will take the company’s support to $1.1 million across a 30-year collaborative partnership for initiatives in the College of Business and College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

Leaders from Acxiom and BTĚěĚĂsigned a memorandum of understanding Sept. 24 to further finalize the partnership.

The gift will support an annual IT careers camp, provide funds for student scholarships, clubs and awards, and highlight job and internship opportunities available to BTĚěĚĂstudents at Acxiom.

“Acxiom continues to be one of UCA’s closest and most valued community partners,” said BTĚěĚĂPresident Houston Davis. “This gift only furthers the impact of Acxiom on our campus, our students and our graduates.”

In the College of Business, Acxiom’s gift will support the Acxiom IT Careers Camp, a yearly, two-day camp held on UCA’s campus for high school students interested in careers in information technology. The camp began in 2007 and has welcomed more than 400 students to UCA.

“Central Arkansas is home for Acxiom, and we’re delighted to continue to support our community,” said Acxiom’s Chief Customer Officer Drew May. “Investment in education and in future talent is so important, both in good and in challenging times, as it ultimately benefits everyone.”

Acxiom’s gift will also support the Acxiom Scholarship, open to qualifying juniors and seniors majoring in Management Information Systems, and the Acxiom Information Systems Student Award, given each year to the top Information Systems major in the College of Business.

“Acxiom has played a vital role in our college over the years, especially in our Department of Management Information Systems, where technology, data and analytics education is the primary focus,” said BTĚěĚĂCollege of Business Dean Michael Hargis. “Acxiom has provided more internships for MIS and other business students than any other company, more full-time positions for our MIS graduates than any other company and has been crucial to curriculum enhancements we have made to keep our courses relevant and current.”

In the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (CNSM), Acxiom’s gift will go toward sponsoring the CNSM Club.

“I appreciate all the support that Acxiom has provided to the college over a long period of time,” said BTĚěĚĂCollege of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Dean Stephen Addison. “I am particularly pleased with this gift that directly supports the efforts of our computer science students.”

As director, Wish will oversee the program’s administration and operations and continue to expand the training curriculum to meet the growing workforce demands in the information technology sector. Her first day was Dec. 1.

Wish brings more than 20 years of experience in information technology to this role. She earned a Bachelor of Science in computer and information science from Arkansas Tech University before beginning her career as a software engineer at Acxiom. Over the years, Wish has worked in solution architecture and leadership positions. Most recently, in her role as senior manager of delivery, she oversaw an organization of more than 30 technical data architects across the United States and Poland.

“Since 2016, the program has had great success in educating and training the next generation of computer programmers, and I am excited to connect with our students, work with our skilled staff and partner with technical industry leaders to ensure we’re doing our part to continue to build Arkansas’ reputation for providing top technical talent,” Wish said.

Established in 2016, ArCA at BTĚěĚĂstrives to create a talent pipeline from the classroom to the workforce for individuals seeking careers in programming, information technology or software development. It aims to equip students with the skills needed to gain employment and succeed in the information technology sector.

“Mask-wearing has become a huge political issue in this country,” Dussourd said. “Creating more division was not the goal of the book. The goal was to help parents and teachers.”

Written in July, the book is 30 pages long and features pictures of animals, as well as photos of children, to help explain the importance of mask-wearing. The book emphasizes that mask-wearing is an act of kindness in preventing the spread of disease.

“I was trying to figure out what I could do to help out. I’m not trained as a virologist. I don’t have the skills necessary to work on vaccines or to work on treatments. I’m not trained to be a doctor or a nurse, so this was a way I could help parents,” Dussourd said.

Even though the book is about masks, Dussourd said he has a second concept he wants readers, including adults, to gain from the book.

“There are all kinds of animals in my backyard in Conway,” he said. “I think it might surprise people what is living around us. Creatures like armadillos, opossums, rabbits and all kinds of birds and insects. Getting in touch with these animals can help us deal with the stresses that at times are overwhelming us. Returning to nature is a way of bringing some calmness to our lives and some comfort amidst all the chaos.”

Dussourd earned a bachelor’s in biology from Dartmouth College, graduating magna cum laude. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy in neurobiology and behavior from Cornell University. After working as a research associate at the University of Maryland, Dussourd came to BTĚěĚĂin 1991.

The Public Service Award recipient was Mary Ruth Marotte ’97, Department of English. Finalists were Cindy Lea ’95, Schedler Honors College, and Twala Maresh ’82, ’98, ’02, Department of Physical Therapy.

The Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Award recipient was Arijit Mukherjee, Department of Biology. Finalists were Matthew Gifford, Department of Biology, and Femina Varghese, Department of Psychology and Counseling.

The Teaching Excellence Award recipient was Donna Bowman, Schedler Honors College. Finalists were Brent Gregg ’99, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Benjamin Rider, Department of Philosophy and Religion.

Amy Hawkins, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Academic Leadership, received the Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Award.

Tansel Halic, Department of Computer Science, received the External Funding Impact Award.

In addition, the university recognized BTĚěĚĂEmployee of the Year recipients for the 2019-20 academic year. In the classified employee category, Nancy Bond was named Employee of the Year; Paula Myers ’13 was named a finalist. In the non-classified category, Billie Hill ’99, ’09 was named Employee of the Year; Garth Clayborn ’04 was named a finalist.

The Public Service Award recognizes individuals whose service contributions to the BTĚěĚĂcommunity, professional community and other communities outside the university have been outstanding.

The Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Award recognizes individuals whose contributions to their disciplines have been exemplary.

Faculty who have consistently demonstrated exceptional performance in teaching are eligible for the Teaching Excellence Award.

The Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Award recognizes individuals whose commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence on and/or off campus has made a significant impact on various ethnic groups and diverse populations in a positive way.

Established in November 2018, the External Funding Impact Award recognizes a faculty or staff member for excellence in obtaining external funding.

The Bear Partner Scholarship is awarded to students who transfer from each participating two-year institution, including Arkansas State University-Beebe, the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton and the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College. Scholarship recipients are selected by the respective two-year institutions. The scholarship covers tuition and mandatory fees up to 15 hours per semester for four semesters or when the student completes a bachelor’s degree.

Benham, a junior, transferred from UAPTC and is double majoring in film and dietetics. At UAPTC, Benham was in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Benham learned about the scholarship through UAPTC and the BTĚěĚĂwebsite.

She hopes the skills she learns and the connections she makes at BTĚěĚĂwill help her as she works toward a future in film.

“I hope to get to know the professors and create a genuine connection with people at UCA,” Benham said. “I’m so grateful for this opportunity, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Dycus transferred from ASU-Beebe and is now a junior at BTĚěĚĂwith expectations of graduating in spring 2021. A biology major, Dycus was part of the Student Support Services program and served as president of the American Chemical Society chapter at ASU-Beebe. At UCA, she is part of the First-Generation Scholars Society, Bears Den, Circle K and the Food Recovery Network.

“I learned that I was awarded the scholarship in early May of 2020 through congratulatory letters from both universities,” she said. “I was so excited to find out that I had received the scholarship.”

After Dycus graduates with a Bachelor of Science, she would like to work on her master’s and then follow her dreams to become an orthopedic surgeon.

At UACCM, Stewart, also a junior, was a student ambassador, Phi Theta Kappa student officer, member of the Student Leadership Council and vice president of the Model UN Club. Stewart learned about the scholarship from BTĚěĚĂrecruiters that visited UACCM and shared the information about the opportunity.

“I received the letter informing me of the award when I graduated from UACCM. It was a magnificent graduation gift, and I could not have asked for anything better,” she said.

With her degree, Stewart hopes to become a registered dietician and work with veterans at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.

“As a nontraditional student, this honor means security for me and my family as I pursue a better future for us,” Stewart said. “I really cannot express how much it really means to me.”

Lackie brings more than 30 years of experience in higher education to this role. During her career, she has held critical positions in enrollment, admissions, housing and residence life, international programs, alumni services and advancement at colleges and universities in the U.S. and in Dubai, Armenia and Poland.

Lackie has served as interim vice president of University Advancement at BTĚěĚĂsince February. Prior to that, she served as assistant vice president for Development.

“Since Mary joined BTĚěĚĂin March 2018, she has been a centerpiece of our campaign planning and staff development,” said BTĚěĚĂPresident Houston Davis. “I have seen firsthand the depth and breadth of her knowledge and her commitment to excellence. As vice president of Advancement, I know she will continue to be a tremendous asset to our students, alumni base, leadership team and the university as a whole.”

Before coming to UCA, Lackie served as the vice chancellor for University Advancement at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, where she provided leadership for the UAFS Foundation, with endowments valued at over $84 million and total assets of over $88 million. She has also served as the executive director of Alumni Services and Annual Giving at Arkansas Tech University, and the director of Development at American School of Warsaw.

“It’s an exciting time at UCA, and I’m honored to be here in this role at this time. We have great momentum at the university and as an advancement division, and I am looking forward to connecting with alumni, faculty, staff and students as we all work together to support our students and to write UCA’s next chapter,” said Lackie. “As a student and later through my work in higher education, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that philanthropy can have on students and the whole community. As a first-generation college student myself, I know how much a scholarship can change the trajectory of individuals and families for generations to come. I look forward to helping to continue to build that legacy of success for students at UCA.”

As vice president of University Advancement, Lackie oversees 30 employees in the departments of Advancement Services, Alumni Relations, Development, University Marketing and Communications and the BTĚěĚĂFoundation.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Arkansas Tech University, a Master of Arts in student personnel services from Northwestern State University of Louisiana and a Doctor of Education in higher education from the University of Arkansas.