Arkansas Achievers

■ Little Rock Central High School senior Kevin Durden won the Lindsey Ball Parker Award and Jim Rollins received the Director’s Award during the EAST initiative’s annual conference in Hot Springs held March 12-14. EAST stands for education accelerated by service and technology. Rollins led the Springdale School District as superintendent for 38 years before retiring in 2020. He was a champion of the East program. The Lindsey Ball Parker Award is given to a student who exhibits determination, a positive work ethic and an unflagging dedication to helping make the conference the best experience possible. The EAST conference is an annual multi-day event that gives students the opportunity to showcase projects that attempt to make a difference in their communities and to network with peers and industry professionals.

■ The George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon named Arkansas Tech University faculty member Kelly Houston Jones as one of 23 research fellows for the 2024-25 academic year. Jones, associate professor of history and graduate program director in the ATU Department of History and Political Science, will spend one month at Mount Vernon in Virginia as part of a sabbatical period during the fall 2024 semester. Jones’ research will focus on the sometimes violent response of slave owners and other whites when enslaved people in America resisted or escaped during the 1700s and 1800s.

■ The Southern Arkansas University Hallman Scholarship has been awarded to two 2024 freshmen: Maggie McHenry of Magnolia and Emilee Lyons of Bradley. The Hallman Scholarship provides scholarships for incoming women in the SAU College of Science and Engineering. The scholarship is named after Cinda Hallman, a 1966 SAU graduate and 1999 recipient of the SAU Distinguished Alumni Award. When she became CEO of Spherion Corporation, Hallman became one of four women leading Fortune 500 companies.

■ Amelia Southern Uribe — a junior at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville — has been selected as a finalist for the 2024 Harry S. Truman Scholarship. Southern Uribe is a 2023 Udall Scholar from Fayetteville and is an honors student majoring in political science and journalism with a concentration in advertising and public relations through the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. Truman Scholars are awarded $30,000 to attend graduate or professional school. This year, 705 students from 275 colleges and universities across the nation applied for Truman Scholarships. Finalists demonstrate outstanding leadership, public service and academic achievement. The foundation will choose 60 Truman Scholars from the pool of finalists.

■ The Southeastern Conference awarded the 2024 SEC Faculty Achievement Award for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville to Mary C. Lacity, the UA Distinguished Professor of Information Systems and David D. Glass Endowed Chair. Each year, the SEC recognizes faculty with outstanding records in research and scholarship from member universities with a SEC Faculty Achievement Award. After the SEC Faculty Achievement Awards have been announced for each university, the SEC selects the SEC Professor of the Year from the group of recipients.

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.