BT天堂

Two alumni of the聽Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies (GPI) – Benjamin W. Hovland (Class of 2000) and Troy B. Braswell, Jr. (Class of 2002) – , were presented distinguished alumnus awards by department chair Dr. Mark Mullenbach during a聽reception hosted by the GPI Department in Buffalo Alumni Hall on Thursday, September 18, 2025.聽 Several alumni, faculty, students, and other guests attending the reception were welcomed by BT天堂President Houston Davis.

A graduate of the University of Central Arkansas in May 2000 with a BA degree in Political Science,聽Benjamin Hovland聽earned a JD degree from the University of Oregon in 2007.聽 After serving for six years as Senior Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules & Administration, Hovland was appointed to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in Washington DC in 2018.聽 Hovland’s appointment was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a unanimous vote on January 2, 2019.聽 Hovland served as chair of the EAC in 2020-2021 and 2024-2025.

Troy Braswell, Jr.聽graduated from BT天堂in August 2002 with a BS degree in Political Science and from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law with a JD degree in 2005.聽 Between 2005 and 2024, Braswell worked as a law clerk for Circuit Court Judge Tim Fox, deputy prosecuting attorney in Pulaski County, and chief deputy prosecutor for the Arkansas 20th Judicial District, which covers Faulkner, Van Buren, and Searcy counties in Arkansas.聽 In 2014, Braswell was elected to a six-year term as Circuit Court Judge in the Second Division of the 20th Judicial District.聽 He was elected to a second term in 2020.聽 Among his other responsibilities, Judge Braswell presides over the Juvenile Court in the Arkansas 20th Judicial District.

The Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies held a reception for alumni, students, faculty, and other guests in Buffalo Alumni Hall on Tuesday evening, September 12, 2023.聽 President Houston Davis welcomed BT天堂alumni, faculty, and students to the event.聽 Members of the department faculty, including Dr. Heather Yates, Dr. Kim Hoffman, and Dr. Gizachew Tiruneh, highlighted the department’s bachelor degree programs, including the BA/BS in Political Science, Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA), and BA in International Studies.聽 The department also offers minors in Political Science, Public Administration, International Studies, and Legal Studies.

Dr. Clay Arnold presented the department’s 2023 Distinguished Alumnus Award to Justice Cody Hiland of the Arkansas State Supreme Court.聽 Justice Hiland, who graduated from BT天堂with a bachelor’s degree in public administration in 1993, previously served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas from 2017 to 2020.聽 In July 2023, Justice Cody Hiland was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Arkansas Supreme Court by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.聽 He graciously accepted the award and spoke of the life-long drive that the values of public service has given his career. He remarked that “public service has a nice ring to it, doesn鈥檛 it? And inherent in the idea of public service is the idea that we鈥檙e helping other people. I don鈥檛 know if there鈥檚 a greater calling in life than serving our fellow man.”

Dr. Mark Mullenbach announced the establishment of the Student Experiential Learning Fund (SELF) that will provide small grants to students in the department who are participating in experiential learning activities outside of the classroom, including internships, academic service learning, research, academic conferences and seminars, and study abroad.聽 Dr. Mullenbach encouraged department alumni and others to generously contribute to the SELF, which will be administered by the BT天堂Foundation.聽 He stated that the “primary goal of the fund is to ensure than no student in the department is unable to participate in an experiential learning activity because they don’t have that extra $100 or $300 in their budget.”聽 Dr. Mary Beth Sullivan announced the establishment of an undergraduate student online journal, which will give undergraduate students in the department the opportunity to publish their research.聽 Dr. Sullivan announced that a call for papers will be issued in the spring.聽 Dr. Hyo-Won Shin was introduced as the department’s newest faculty member.聽 Dr. Shin, who was hired to replace the retired Dr. John Passe Smith, specializes in comparative politics and Southeast Asian politics.