University of Central Arkansas

The University of Central Arkansas Alumni Association presented its annual service award to David Grimes of Conway on Friday night.

The award is presented to an individual or couple, who through their deeds or actions, reflect and recognize the importance of the UCA Alumni Association and demonstrate extraordinary commitment, dedication, service and loyalty to the association.

The University of Central Arkansas will host the National Conference of Academic Deans from July 30 to Aug. 1 at Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center on campus and the Hilton Garden Inn in Conway.

More than 60 college and university provosts, deans and associate deans will be in attendance, with some coming from as far away as Oregon, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois.

The three-day conference mixes workshops on college governance with career-development advice. This year's theme is "The Promotion of Quality Within and Beyond Campus Borders." Plenary sessions and discussions will focus on topics including accreditation, academic education and online education.

Miss Ouachita River Sarah Slocum won the title of Miss Arkansas 2009 Saturday night at Summit Arena in Hot Springs in front of a crowd of 2,000 people. As a result, Slocum won a $20,000 scholarship provided by Ted and Shannon Boy Skokos and more than $50,000 in awards, wardrobe, transportation, and gifts.

Slocum, 23, will represent Arkansas at the 2010 Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas and will make appearances across the Natural State promoting the Children's Miracle Network and speaking in support of the goals of the Miss Arkansas and Miss America system.

The University of Central Arkansas Archives recently acquired the collection of John L. Ward, the Bee Branch resident who was a senior aide to Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller, was managing editor of the Log Cabin Democrat newspaper in Conway, and who also served as vice president of public affairs at UCA.

According to Jimmy Bryant, director of the UCA Archives, the John Ward collection contains photographs, personal and professional correspondence, items related to interviews, Toad Suck Daze material, books, and memorandums related to UCA. Bryant said the collection would be processed and ready for researchers by the fall of 2009.

Diana Pounder is the new dean of the College of Education at the University of Central Arkansas.

Pounder, who served previously as the chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah, began her new role at UCA on July 1.

UCA faculty recently won grants totaling over $450,000. These include:

Principal Investigator Dr. J. D. Swanson, Assistant Professor in Biology, along with his Co-PIs Dr. Lance Bridges, Assistant Professor in Chemistry, Dr. Brent Hill, Assistant Professor in Biology, Dr. Melissa Kelley, Assistant Professor in Chemistry, Dr. Kari Naylor, Assistant Professor in Biology, Dr. Ben Rowley, Assistant Professor in Biology, and Dr. David Starkey, Assistant Professor in Biology, all with the College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics at the University of Central Arkansas, have been awarded a grant for $46,902 by the Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) with funds from the National Institutes of Health. The project, Enhancing Cell Imaging Capabilities in the College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, funded the purchase of new equipment to expand the abilities of faculty and students to conduct more intricate and innovative projects, enhance the variety of experiments, and increase opportunities for students in the classroom and the research environment.

UCA Homecoming 2009 is scheduled for the week of October 18-24.

"Can't Hide Your Bear Pride"?

Check out the schedule of events.