Arkansas achievers
Dee Ann Newell of Little Rock, executive director and founder of Arkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind, has been named Civil Libertarian of the Year, the highest honor bestowed by the ACLU of Arkansas.
The nonprofit Rural Community Alliance named the following people as the 2018 Champions of Rural Arkansas: Dale Query of Flippin, Cathy Nash of Eudora, state Rep. Mark McElroy of Tillar, Ethan Dunbar of Lewisville, Mattie Allison of Marianna, Andrew Taylor of Eudora and Sharon Pierce of Mount Judea.
Glenn Anderson, associate professor in the American Sign Language and English Interpreter Education program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, received UALR’s Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service.
The following Harding University faculty members received the Teacher Achievement Award this spring: Amy Adair, Ginger Blackstone, Kristi Bond, Rich Brown, Debbie Duke, Lana Gettman, Don Sanders, Patty Smith and Kevin Youngblood.
The following Harding University staff members won the Distinguished Service Award: Lee Allen, Jeanne Castleberry, Tammy Hall, Alan Nesbitt, Mark Prior and Brenda Seawel.
Robert Morris, a senior strategic communication major from Jacksonville, received the 2018 R.E. Lee Wilson Award, Arkansas State University’s highest honor for a graduating student. Morris also received the school’s Distinguished Service Award.
Other winners of ASU’s Distinguished Service Award are: Brett Hale of Doniphan, Mo.; Nathan Johnson of Jonesboro; Haley Stotts of Little Rock; and Reagan Williams of Jonesboro.
Two Arkansas State University students — Ryan Atkins of Laguna Hills, Calif., and Edward Harthorn of Walnut Ridge — were chosen to receive Fulbright Grants for the 2018-19 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Faunia Cofre-Unnold of Jonesboro was named a Fulbright alternate.
Arkansas State University student Griffin Lyn Varner of Childress is the 2018 recipient of the Jim and Betty Sloan Memorial Scholarship in the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Technology.
Anusha Bhattacharyya, a junior at Little Rock Central High School, won a full scholarship to Arizona State University and the third-place prize in Earth and Environmental Science at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
The following students were the top winners of the 27th annual Preserve Our Past art and essay contest sponsored by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program:
Bryce Smith of Ahlf Junior High School in Searcy, first place in the seventh and eighth grade art division.
Bart Walker of Haas Hall Academy in Rogers, first place in the seventh and eighth grade essay division.
Savanna Young of Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, first place in the fifth and sixth grade art division.
Other winners in the seventh and eighth grade art division were: Madison Caple of Cotter Junior High School, second place, and Kai Griffith of Hot Springs Junior Academy, third place.
Other winners in the seventh and eighth grade essay division were: Meera Arunkumar of Haas Hall Academy, second place, and Destiny Bowden of Pottsville Junior High, third place.
Other winners in the fifth and sixth grade art division were: Lindy Gildon of Pulaski Academy, second place, and Kamoree Daniels and Luke Dallas of Pulaski Academy, tied for third place. Arkansas Achievers is an opportunity to give recognition to Arkansans for their achievements. Civilian and military achievements are accepted.
Please follow these guidelines: Achiever(s):
1) Must be an Arkansan or have graduated from a school in Arkansas.
2) Received an award, scholarship, medal or promotion. Pageants, deans’ lists, graduations or military enlistments are not accepted. No photographs please. To submit an Achiever mail information to: Arkansas Achievers, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203.