Arkansas Achievers

Kasandra Wright — an apparel merchandising and product development major at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville — has been named the national winner of the inaugural NEXTILE: The Soy in Textiles Design Challenge. The challenge asked students across the country to leverage creative and problem-solving skills to produce the next sustainable innovation in textile design, but they were required to create their products using one versatile ingredient — soybeans. Her design, a moth skirt, included sustainable elements soy French Terry, soy top roving, soy silk thread and bio tex modern meadows soy leather natural pigment with soymilk soak. The competition, sponsored by the United Soybean Board, aimed to support professors teaching sustainability and textile designs. As the winner, Wright receives a $1,000 scholarship.

Rebecca Lochmann, professor of aquaculture and fisheries at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, received the Distinguished Service Award at the Aquaculture America conference. Hosted by the U.S. Aquaculture Society and partners, Aquaculture America is the nation’s only major national aquaculture conference and exposition. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding personal contributions to the society and the U.S. aquaculture industry. It emphasizes significant leadership and overall impact in research, education, Extension or industry development in the field of aquaculture. Lochmann’s research addresses the interaction between nutrition, growth, stress resistance, immune responses and product quality for multiple fish species of commercial importance.

Five seniors at Parkview Arts & Science Magnet High School in Little Rock have been selected for the U.S. Navy’s $200,000 Reserve Officer Training Corps Scholarship, which will pay each student’s four-year expenses to attend the college or university of their choice. These five students were selected for the Navy scholarship from among thousands of applicants nationwide. They are Passion Ball (Southern University), Breighah Bailey (Hampton University), Richard Hampton (Marion Military Institute), Jasmine Raynor (Southern University) and Aaliyah Walker (Marion Military Institute).

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 email us at news@arkansasonline.com with the words “Arkansas Achievers” in the subject line.