UALR reveals new alumni patio
Site symbolizes ‘progress and growth,’ school official says
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock officially unveiled its latest effort to engage — and celebrate — alumni Friday, an Alumni Patio that includes personalized bricks outside the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center on campus.
It’s not merely a physical addition to campus but also embodies the “spirit of community and connection” among Trojans, said Kristi Smith, associate vice chancellor for alumni and development.
The patio, along with the connecting walkways featuring names critical to UALR’s past and present, “serve as a testament to the enduring legacy of UA-Little Rock and the bonds that unite us as Trojans.”
This is the first addition to the Bailey Center since it was built in 2002, a symbol of “progress and growth,” she said. “With the dedication of this alumni patio, we look forward to hosting many more celebrations and gatherings that will enrich the lives of current and future generations of Trojans.”
Due to the Trojan Way construction project, existing alumni bricks in front of Ottenheimer Library needed a new home, and more than 3,000 were relocated to the front of the Bailey Center, according to Carrie Phillips, UALR’s chief communications and marketing officer.
Individuals can also donate to ensure that their bricks are added to the walkway, as the university plans to add new bricks a few times each year.
For those without names on bricks yet, “please know there is room here for you,” seconded Smith.
These aren’t merely bricks with names on them, but rather, “human beings” who went on to lead “quality lives,” said Don Riggin, an alumnus and member of the Centennial Campaign cabinet who has his own brick. “It’s about lives that were changed — my life was changed because of this institution.”
At the time, it was known as Little Rock University, but faculty and staff prioritized engaging with students the same way they do today, he said. Faculty and staff made students “the best they could be, and they still are” doing that at UALR.
It takes “each person to be engaged,” not only alumni, but all stakeholders in the university, said Rhonda Aaron, president of the UALR
Alumni Association. “When we become engaged, it inspires others to do the same.”
The Bailey Center is especially important to Antonio Mosby because it hosted the formal meet-and-greet for the 40th-anniversary reunion of the Theta Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., in 2015, said the member of Kappa Alpha Phi Fraternity. “That experience was remarkable and further solidified my commitment to giving back” because of the “warm and familiar environment” that allowed members to celebrate their bonds and re-engage with the university and one another.
There’s clearly a familiar theme today, Chancellor Christina Drale observed. “We’re all about engagement.”
It’s crucial “for our Trojan community to have a strong sense of place, a sense of place that honors the past but also embraces the potential of the future that awaits us,” she added.
With the alumni patio, the university has repurposed an area originally designed to be storm drainage into a “beautiful gathering space” that invites people to linger and engage.
UALR is truly “home” for Summer Khairi — a “proud” UALR graduate and active member of the alumni board — as well as her family, many of whom also graduated from the university, she said. The alumni patio is another space that past, present and future students can take pride in, and she’s delighted for another place on campus she can “showcase” to her family and friends.
The Trojan Way project is one facet of UALR’s Centennial Campaign, which was launched in 2022, according to the university. The goal is to raise $250 million by 2027, and — as of May 1 — the campaign has already raised $192 million.
It creates a direct path from the main campus to the alumni center for the first time, according to Leslie Hutchins, associate vice chancellor for facilities management. That’s “a really nice feature.”
The Trojan Way project, scheduled for completion by this fall, will help students succeed by building stronger connections for them on campus, according to Drale. It will include dynamic, multi-functional spaces that blend academic and social activities to foster interaction, enhance the living and learning environment and encourage connection and collaboration among students and staff.
The transformation is more than a physical renovation, however, she said. It symbolizes UALR’s commitment to fostering an environment where academic and personal growth are intertwined, enhancing the appeal of the university to future students.
Trojan Way redefines the university’s north-to-south campus promenade, including walkways with landscaping and lighting, multiple outdoor learning environments, a stage for events and a seating wall with built-in charging stations, according to UALR.
The project encompasses 218,750 square feet, with seven gathering spaces planned and more than 260 trees planted.
Groundbreaking was in December 2022 for the project, which is supported by a grant of more than $8 million from the Donaghey Foundation and additional private donations, according to UALR. The university’s Office of Alumni and Development has been working with alumni to raise another $2 million, and there are a number of spaces along Trojan Way eligible for naming rights.