University receives $1.96 million from Cinda Hallman estate

MAGNOLIA— Southern Arkansas University has received a $1.9 million distribution from the estate of the late Cinda Hallman, a 1966 graduate and 1999 recipient of the University’s Distinguished Alumni Award. The gift, combined with a preliminary distribution of $60,000 received in late 2009, will become a part of the SAU Foundation’s endowment. As directed by Hallman, the $1.96 million will provide scholarships for women pursing degrees in the University’s College of Science and Technology.

“During her career, Ms. Hallman was an inspiration for young women as she met the challenges of corporate leadership and succeeded at the highest levels,” said Jeanie Bismark, executive director of the SAU Foundation. “We are grateful that she chose to provide support and encouragement for a new generation of young women through this bequest.”

Hallman was the former chief executive officer of Spherion Corporation, a provider of staffing, recruitment, and workforce solutions. She was appointed to the position in 2001 following six years of active membership on Spherion’s board of directors. She retired in March 2004 and passed away on December 24, 2007.

Before joining Spherion, Hallman had a distinguished 20-year career with DuPont. As senior vice president of DuPont global systems and processes, she led a major effort to define new business models associated with a strategic shift in focus for the $40 billion global enterprise. She also had full responsibility for global information technology, processes and strategy, and corporate core managing processes. She was named Chief Information Officer of the Year by Information Week Magazine for “reshaping DuPont’s information systems organization to meet the changing competitive needs of its business units.” She also received a special recognition as one of the most influential information technology executives of the last decade by CIO Magazine in 1997 for strongly influencing the evolution of the IT profession and expanding the strategic possibilities of information technology in the enterprise.

“From a small town in Arkansas to the top echelons of the corporate world, Cinda Hallman distinguished herself and Southern Arkansas University,” said SAU President Dr. David Rankin. “We all appreciate the very generous contribution to the future of science education at SAU.”

While a student at SAU, Hallman was a member of the Delta Y Math Club, Alpha Chi national honor society, and worked on the student newspaper, The Bray. She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science in mathematics and was named to the Dean’s List during each of her semesters at the University.

“Hard work, scholastic achievement, and focus while at SAU have paid dividends throughout my life,” Hallman said upon receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999.

For more information on making a bequest to Southern Arkansas University or creating an endowment, contact the SAU Foundation at (870) 235-4078.

6th Annual Farmers Bank & Trust Distinguished Speaker Series

Distinguished speaker series will feature FOX News Channel duo

MAGNOLIA – FOX News Channel contributors Monica Crowley and Alan Colmes disagree on almost every political issue. Representing opposite ends of the political spectrum, the duo will be the featured speakers at the 6^th annual Farmers Bank and Trust Distinguished Speaker Series on Monday, Oct. 18. The event will take place at the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center at Southern Arkansas University, and proceeds benefit the scholarship endowment of the Southern Arkansas University Foundation.

Crowley and Colmes regularly square off on various hot button issues during appearances on FOX News Channel’s The O’Reilly Factory, but one thing that takes their debate to the next level is the fact that they are brother and sister-in-law. The pair’s presentation at SAU will be titled “All disagreements are relative: a conversation with Crowley and Colmes.”

“With the election just around the corner, it is exciting to have Alan Colmes and Monica Crowley debate the issues of the moment,” said Dr. David Rankin, president of Southern Arkansas University. Everyone who attends will have the opportunity to hear two of the best political commentators in the business.”

Crowley is a panelist on the legendary McLaughlin Group, which she joined in 2007. She is a longtime FOX News political and foreign affairs analyst, having joined the network at its inception in 1996. Her intelligent, original, and witty analysis attracted radio programmers, and she launched her radio career with a show on the number one talk station in the nation, 77 WABC in New York, in 2002. The show now airs on over 130 stations.

Crowley holds two masters degrees and a Ph.D. in international affairs from Columbia University and worked as a foreign policy assistant to former President Richard Nixon from 1990 until his death in 1994. Her experience with Nixon prompted her to write to best-selling books, Nixon off the Record: His Candid Commentary on People and Politics and Nixon in Winter.

After a string of successful radio shows in New York, Colmes gained a reputation as a hard-hitting liberal known for his electric commentary on the American agenda. He joined FOX News Channel in 1996 and co-hosted “Hannity and Colmes” for more than 12 years. That program became the No. 2 show in all of cable news, helping FOX achieve prime time dominance. His radio show is now syndicated by FOX News and heard on satellite radio across the country.

Colmes attracts many key political and pop culture figures to his microphone. Among his guests have been President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Vice Presdient Al Gore, Lynn Chaney, former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and others. His likeability, humor, command of the issues, and appeal to both sides of the political plate have helped him garner the biggest audience of any liberal radio broadcaster.

“We strive each year to provide a program that is both entertaining and informative and that also presents current issues of national significance,” said Bob Burns, chairman and CEO of Farmers Bank and Trust.

The Farmers Bank and Trust Distinguished Speaker Series was established in 2005 to benefit students of Southern Arkansas University through a scholarship endowment with the Southern Arkansas University Foundation. In fulfilling its mission, the series brings speakers of national and international prominence to the SAU campus, providing a memorable experience and enhancing the visibility of the University. Former speakers have included Steve Ford, Oliver North, Michael Reagan, James Carville, and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

For more information or to obtain tickets for the event, contact the SAU Foundation at (870) 235-4078.