Shades of Ireland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information and a detailed itinerary of this trip, please click the link below.

CLICK HERE

Deadline for deposit to guarantee reservations is February 24, 2012.  After that date, seating will be available first come, first served.

2011 SAU Foundation Honor Societies Dinner

On Friday, November 4, 2011, Southern Arkansas University Foundation recognized annual and lifetime donors of the 2010-2011 fiscal year and celebrated completed endowments at a dinner in the Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center.  This year’s event featured a clarinet quartet during a reception and featured the Chamber Singers during the dinner.

 

The endowment Honor Wall located in the Reynolds Center recognizes all completed endowments.  Shown above are the following honorees:  Jerry Thomas, Ann Hughey, Charles and Carrie Ann Holiman Trexler, Rebecca Stewart  Matthews, Vonceil Neal, Mike Neal, Sonny Whittington, and David Sixbey.

Dr. Ann Kesse Thomas and Will Bowling are shown in front of the endowment Honor Wall.

 

Dr. David Rankin presents Rebecca Stewart Matthews with a Top Five award, recognizing those who were most generous during the last fiscal year.

SAU Mulerider, Megan, Maye, shares with the crowd the impact that scholarship has made on her academic career.

Julia Laney Machen receives a commemorative coaster for her annual giving.

Claude and Irma Ramey accept an award for their giving.

Dr. Willis Beene accepts an award for his contributions to the Foundation.

Dr. Pam Schonefeld and daughter Christina receive an award.

Bruce Maloch accepts an award from a President’s Ambassador.

Bob and Mickey Pittman Ketchum stand to be recognized for their life-time giving.

Richard White visits with Ken and Nancy Williams.

 

Homer and Eddie Stout visit with Mike White.

Molly Harsh Burns and Dr. George Combs visit before the evening begins.

Mike and Rebecca Stewart Matthews stand to be recognized for completing a scholarship endowment in memory her sister Valerie Stewart.

Dr. Harold Brinson, former SAU President, visits with Chuck Fowler.

 

Tim Daniels shares a moment with Emeritus Chemistry Professor Dr. B. C. Dodson.

Arena Groundbreaking

Construction is underway for a regional livestock and rodeo arena

MAGNOLIA – A groundbreaking ceremony was held on August 8, 2011 for a  new regional livestock and rodeo arena on the campus of Southern Arkansas University.  In a unique twist, the ground was broken by a mule and a blue and gold plow.

The arena will be located on U.S. 82, just west of the Mulerider Stables.

Funded in large part by a $2 million gift from Therral and Jan Story of Magnolia, the arena will be the home of the Southern Arkansas University collegiate rodeo team, providing a covered facility for practice and competition. The team is nationally competitive, sending seven to Collegiate National Finals Rodeo in 2011 and producing a national champion in 2009.

SAU President Dr. David Rankin said the arena will be much more than just a home for the Mulerider rodeo team. The facility will also be available for use by those wishing to promote a variety of events from livestock shows and rodeos to concerts and trade shows.

“We really think this arena will make an impact on the economy of Magnolia and the region,” Rankin said. “It is going to draw people into town for multiple-day events, creating hotel stays and purchases at our stores and restaurants, feeding dollars back into the local economy.”

The arena complex will consist of two structures, the main arena and an enclosed reception area. The main structure will consist of a nearly 78,000 square foot covered rodeo-style arena with a dirt floor and seating for approximately 1,400. The 7,500 square foot reception area will sit in front of the arena and will include the ticket booth, concession stand, an office, a meeting/conference room, men’s and women’s restrooms, and a grilling porch.

During phase one of construction, only the main arena structure will be built. The reception area will be constructed in phase two.

CLICK HERE to download a booklet that contains more information on the arena.

Aerojet gives $17,000 for science preceptors

(Left to right standing: Dr. Scott White, Chairman of the Department of Chemistry and Physics; Taylor Moore, Chemistry Preceptor; Ms. Connie Wilbur, Human Resources Manager of Aerojet in Camden; Dr. Shawn Krosnick, Assistant Professor of Biology; and  Dr. Viktoriya Black, Assistant Professor of Biology; Seated Ryan Mahelona and Jessica Ziegler, microbiology students).

Science courses are often intimidating for college students, but a grant from Aerojet Corporation of Camden will ease the pressure on students at Southern Arkansas University.

Through its parent company, GenCorp Foundation, Aerojet has provided a $17,000 grant to provide for student preceptors to assist students in biology, chemistry, and physics labs and to provide tutoring outside the labs. Nationwide there is a significant attrition rate in university-level science classes. This program is designed to help the students make it through those first daunting university science classes with the skills that they will need to succeed in both upper-level and graduate studies in the future.

The Undergraduate Laboratory Preceptor Experience will target students in introductory biology, chemistry, and physics courses. Faculty instructors of the designated courses will select preceptors from the pool of upper-level science and engineering majors. The preceptors will be present during the laboratory sessions and will be available for preparation and tutoring help outside of the lab each week during evening hours.

While the primary beneficiaries will be the beginning science and engineering majors, the preceptors will gain a wealth of practical experience that will assist them when they move on to a graduate or professional program.

The grant funded the program for the spring 2011 semester and will continue in for fall 2011. During the spring semester, 243 students enrolled in 11 lab sections benefited from the use of the preceptors.

The grant from Aerojet was given to the University through the SAU Foundation. Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion and defense and armaments markets since 1942

A Southern Arkansas Evening

Dr. David and Toni Rankin welcomed donors of Southern Arkansas University to their home for a Southern Arkansas Evening.  This event featured cuisine from around the world.  (See Pictures Below)

Discover Tuscany

Discover Tuscany
Presented by Southern Arkansas University Foundation

October 4 – October 13, 2011

Highlights of the trip:
Rome – Assisi – Basilica of St. Francis – Montecatini Terme – Siena – San Gimignano – Winery Tour – Florence – Tuscan Feast – Pitti Palace

10 Days – 13 Meals
(8 Breakfasts – 5 Dinners)

Per Person Rates:
Double $3349
Single $3649
Triple $3319

For more information and a detailed itinerary, please Click Here – Tuscany.

Honor an SAU coaching legend by becoming a member of the Rip Powell Society

CLICK HERE for information on the Rip Powell Invitational Golf Tournament.

You can move SAU Football to the next level of excellence.

Southern Arkansas University is pleased to announce a unique opportunity for players and fans to recognize the commitment and accomplishment of Coach Rip Powell by joining the Rip Powell Society.  Your gift of $1,000 or more will secure your membership in this prestigious organization.  Members of the Rip Powell Society will be listed on a permanent plaque at Wilkins Stadium.  The goal of the Rip Powell Society is to raise funds to replace the existing scoreboard with a modern LED version, which features instant replay.  The new scoreboard will display the new field name Rip Powell Field.

Your gift will

• honor Coach Powell for 28 years of service to Southern Arkansas University,
• benefit the program that Coach Powell lifted to a new level of excellence, and
• ensure continual facility improvements expected of a NCAA Division II program

If you would like to join the Rip Powell Society today, Click Here to make your donation today or download a Rip Powell Society Membership Form to mail in your donation.

For more information call SAU Foundation at 870-235-4078 or toll free at 877-235-7409.

Current Members of the Rip Powell Society are:

J. D. Williams – Tuscaloosa, AL
Dr. and Mrs. David Rankin – Magnolia, AR
Mr. and Mrs. Jay Adcox – Magnolia, AR
Mr. and Mrs. Homer Stout – Bossier City, LA
Mr. Richard Beach – Shreveport, LA
Mr. and Mrs. Phil Brooks – Plano, TX
Barron Christensen – Atlanta, TX
Bill Perry – Gulf Shores, AL
Dan Vela – Katy, TX
Bo Ray, Max Adcock, Boyd Rosser, Roger Bell

Donations provide state-of-the-art equipment

Article and pictures used with permission of Banner News.

CLASS ACT: Dr. Shawn Krosnick, Xi Wu, Dr. James Rasmussen, Candace Starr Canady and Kate Curtis-Dockter stand next to the newly installed Licor DNA sequencer that has been in use since the beginning of the semester. The machine was purchased through a matching grant by the Licor Biosciences company and Southern Arkansas University.

Although DNA studies are becoming more popular thanks to television programs like “CSI” and “Law and Order,” students at Southern Arkansas University are learning that the study of genetics goes much farther than TV.

Three genetics students at SAU, all in the SAU Honors College program, are using a new piece of equipment that sets them apart from students in universities of similar size, said Dr. Shawn Krosnick, SAU assistant professor of biology.

The new $100,000 Licor Biosciences DNA sequencer came to SAU after the Chair of the Department of Biology Dr. James Rasmussen’s grant proposal to Licor Biosciences for a matching grant in 2009.

“Licor offers matching funds through their Genomics Education Matching Funds (GEMF) Program,” said Krosnick. “The machine costs about $100,000 in total, but SAU Foundation  provided $40,000 from private donations to the University Science Center with $60,000 in matching funds from Licor because of Dr. Rasmussen’s grant proposal request.”

Students Candice Starr Canady, Kate Curtis-Dockter and Xi Wu are using the Licor sequencer in an independent study that not only prepares them for grad school programs, but also teaches them about the hard work it takes to complete professional research.

The students’ work is contributing to a larger project of Krosnick’s: studying the genetics of passionflowers to determine the relationships between species.

“They are learning these methods and will be able to apply them to any type of organism, not just plants. This is because the techniques for working with DNA are the same, no matter if it comes from a plant or an animal,” said Krosnick.

Dockter said that though she is a chemistry major, studying with the Licor sequencer has been something she has enjoyed this semester. “I really didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she said, referring to her major. “I just took a lot of different things and waited for something that made me say ‘Ooo.’ I’ve said that a lot, and though I’ve decided on chemistry, I’ve learned a lot about the proper way to do research.”

Canady added that she plans to take her new knowledge to grad school. “There aren’t a lot of students who get to work with things like this,” she said.

“We’re extremely appreciative,” said Dockter.

“Dr. Rasmussen had some great foresight in finding a way to bring this to SAU,” said Krosnick. “This machine sets SAU apart from other schools that compare in size.”

Krosnick added that she believes science students who are interested in SAU may take features like the new equipment into consideration when looking at what the university has to offer.

“This is where science is going,” Rasmussen said. “I knew that this is where we’re headed and this is what we needed.”

Other equipment like a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Thermocycler, which multiplies the number of DNA molecules to be read by the sequencer, also had to be purchased and made available to students for their research efforts.

“When you see those guys on TV get a little drop of blood and they walk out straight out of the lab with a result, you appreciate what these students are doing here,” said Rasmussen. “For them to show you the whole process on TV, you’d have an 18 hour show.”

Rasmussen said that the DNA in a drop of blood isn’t enough for a sequencer to pick out identifying factors. Those molecules must be multiplied again and again, a process completed by the PCR thermocycler, before there are enough molecules for the sequencer to provide an accurate reading, Rasmussen explained.

Krosnick said most of the independent study project in which the students are taking part this semester involves the multiplying of this genetic material in the PCR thermocycler.

“I think these kids need to be recognized for their research,” said Krosnick, “And I think Dr. Rasmussen definitely needs to be recognized for what he’s done for this department by bringing in this piece of equipment.”

Krosnick said a new course in molecular biology will begin next semester using the Licor sequencer and that among other things, students will learn how to trace their family lineages through their own DNA.

2010 SAU Foundation Honors Dinner

The SAU Foundation Honor Societies Dinner will be held on Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Social and informal art exhibit will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Center.

Dinner will follow at 7:15 p.m.

Invitations for this event have been sent.

Please RSVP by November 1, 2010 by calling 870-235-4078 or emailing mjbismark@saumag.edu.

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.

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