The Women’s Giving Circle at the University of Central Arkansas awarded four grants focused on programs and initiatives to uplift young girls and women.

Established in 2014, the Women’s Giving Circle is a group of alumnae and friends who have pledged to make a difference at BT天堂through grants for students, faculty and University programs beyond current funding levels. The group emphasizes areas that provide and encourage unique learning and leadership development opportunities that will enrich the lives of women.

Grant recipients and amounts awarded were: Dr. Debra Burris, associate professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, $1,000 for BT天堂Women In Physics Event; Kristy Carter, director of marketing, Division of Outreach and Community Engagement, $1,000 for Hope for Women of Domestic Violence initiative; Karen Thessing ’83, lecturer II, Department of Computer Science, $1,000 for Girls like Technology and Engineering too! initiative and Dr. Ginny Adams, interim associate dean, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, $975 for Girl Power in STEM event.

“We will be giving more money in the future. We are starting slowly because we want to endow this program,” said Nan Snow ’57, a Women’s Giving Circle charter member and BT天堂Foundation member. “Once it’s endowed, we can feel secure that it’s a permanent program, and we can expand our grants.”

The founding group of the Women’s Giving Circle was comprised of 19 members. The group now contains approximately 50 alumnae and friends of UCA. Alumnae members range from the class of 1950 to 2004. For more information or to join the Women’s Giving Circle, visit uca.edu/giving/womens-giving-circle.

Two accounting students at the University of Central Arkansas were the first recipients of an endowed scholarship fund gifted by the late Donna S. Stephens.

BT天堂received a $250,000 gift to endow the scholarship fund for Faulkner County students who major in accounting. The recipients of the scholarship were Spencer Freyaldenhoven and Kevin Wan.

Stephens was a 1968 graduate of State College of Arkansas (SCA), now UCA. She was a certified public accountant and owned her own accounting firm in Conway. Throughout her career, she was a great supporter of the Department of Accounting. She hired many accounting students for internships and some for permanent positions. Stephens passed away in January 2013 and her estate left the generous endowment to BT天堂to fund the accounting scholarships.

The University held a ceremony to unveil a plaque commemorating the gift in October 2015. During the ceremony, Bonnie Steenis, a long-time friend and office manager for Stephens, talked about the legacy of the scholarship. President Tom Courtway, College of Business Dean Michael Hargis and other friends and colleagues of Stephens were present, including the purchaser of Stephen’s business, Jennifer Bell, from Bell & Company.

The University of Central Arkansas started a series of baseball-centric events in partnership with Office of Alumni Relations, which began in March and stretching out into summer.

In March and April, “We are starting a new rivalry between the BT天堂Bears and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) Trojans,” said Derek Walter, director of ticketing in the BT天堂Athletic Department. “This series is called the “Rock ‘n’ Roar Rivalry” and is unlike most because it includes student participation.”

The Office of Alumni Relations will help promote the home and away games, and a trophy will be awarded to the winning school.

This will be based on “Money Donated to Team Impact,” a student competition to raise money, and the competition on the field.

“We would love to see all of central Arkansas out for these games,” said Walter.

In April, Alumni Day with the Bears will take place at Bear Stadium. There will also be an Alumni Day with the Bears in May at Dickey Stephens Park in North Little Rock.There will be free admission for BT天堂alums and their families.

“It’s really about bringing the BT天堂community together to have the opportunity to hang out, reconnect and do fun stuff together,” said John David Pittman, member of the Alumni Association.

The Office of Alumni Relations will sponsor two of the baseball events taking place in June. Events in June include a night out at Busch Stadium with a party suite where BT天堂alums can enjoy a St. Louis Cardinals game. This will be a ticketed event and will include admission, food and beverage. Tickets are $100 and only 30 are available.

Also taking place in June is the fourth annual “Night with the Travs” event at Dickey Stephens Park in North Little Rock. This is a tradition for BT天堂alumni, and includes a picnic for BT天堂alums and their families. The event has proven to be a popular one, with numerous attendees returning year after year. The “Night With the Travs” picnic will feature a casual buffet of burgers, hot dogs, beans, chips, popcorn and soft drinks. Tickets are $15 and include admission and a buffet.For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit uca.edu/alumni.

The University of Central Arkansas launched an initiative called the “Greek 100” in November 2015 to commemorate a century of Greek life on the campus and to continue engagement with BT天堂alumni.

“Greek 100” is hosted on the University website at uca.edu/greek100.

” ‘Greek 100’ is really a project that allows us to celebrate the rich history of Greek life on this campus by profiling 100 Greek alumni and where they are in the world and how they are making a difference because of their involvement not only in Greek life but because of this University,” said Aaron Knight, assistant director of Alumni Relations.

Profiles of Greek alumni who were initiated through University chapters of the fraternities and sororities in the Interfraternity Council, Independent Greek Council, Panhellenic Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council are featured on the site. Greeks included on the site were initiated in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and 2000s.

Knight said the project includes Greek alumni from a variety of occupations and locations. “From school teacher to CEO, from pilot to retail store manager and entrepreneur to professor, it’s fairly remarkable to look at the breadth of professions and vocations,” said Knight.

The Office of Alumni Relations is leading the effort with assistance from other BT天堂offices to select and contact featured Greek alumni, write the profiles and take the photographs. All 100 Greek profiles should be on the site by June 2016.

“For the Office of Alumni Relations, this has been a tremendous opportunity and fun project for us,” Knight said. “We’re so honored to be able to reach out and be the conduit by which some of these folks are able to reconnect with their University and we certainly hope they will continue to be connected.”

This initiative continues to follow the futuristic vision set forth in President Tom Courtway’s “Framework for the Future,” a comprehensive strategy aimed at positioning BT天堂as a national leader in higher education, as well as part of the BT天堂Alumni Attitude Study. The survey was conducted in June 2015 in an attempt to hear members’ thoughts, as well as enact needed change in potential growth areas.

As part of the Alumni Association’s strategic planning process, the Alumni Attitude Study identified that geographic distance was one of the significant barriers to feeling connected to BT天堂and the Alumni Association. Nearly a quarter of alumni reside outside of Arkansas.

“It is an important realization of the Alumni Association that we have alumni everywhere, and in an effort to engage them we’re going to have to go to them,” said John David Pittman, member of the Alumni Association.

The Office of Alumni Relations is visiting both locations where there are large concentrations of alumni, but also areas with high potential for alumni involvement. Destinations this semester include Los Angeles, New York, Oklahoma City, Washington D.C., Dallas and Bentonville.

“Our alumni are doing amazing things, and we know that sometimes life can take them far from central Arkansas, hundreds and even thousands of miles away,” said Jesse Thill, director of the Office of Alumni Relations. “Through our engagement efforts, we are bringing BT天堂to them so that no matter where they are, they feel connected to their alma mater.”

According to Thill, the results of this effort have shown an increased membership in the Alumni Association from BT天堂alums as well as increased participation from out-of-state alumni.

“There’s also just a lot of excitement!” said Thill. Information about alumni events can be found online at uca.edu/alumni.