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Commencement 2007 Honors and Awards


The 2007 Outstanding Alumnus is Cordia Harrington, BSHE '75, CEO and owner of four companies based in Nashville, Tenn., which bake and distribute buns and other products for major restaurant companies in the United States and abroad.

Harrington was interviewed by Time magazine as one of the leading women entrepreneurs in the United States, has appeared on many national television programs and has received numerous awards recognizing her accomplishments.

After graduating from the University of Arkansas as a Foods and Nutrition major in 1975, Harrington began her business career in real estate in Russellville and soon moved to Effingham, Ill., where she bought three McDonald's restaurants and served on the corporation's bun committee. Her enthusiasm for "everything to do with buns" won her the nickname of "The Bun Lady." When the company needed a new bun supplier, Harrington was chosen in 1996 to build and operate the Tennessee Bun Company bakery, which is the fastest automated bakery in the world, producing more than 1,000 buns a minute. She later added the Nashville Bun Company, Bun Lady Transport and Cold Storage of Nashville.

Harrington says her success has given her the opportunity to fulfill her passion, which is "to give others the opportunity to succeed beyond their wildest dreams." She enjoys motivating others and sharing her experiences as a keynote speaker.

The "Bun Lady International" scholarship in Bumpers College was endowed by  Harrington to help students take advantage of study-abroad opportunities. She says an opportunity she had as a U of A student to study in Osaka, Japan, her sophomore year was a life-changing experience. She has kept in touch with her host family and has twice brought them to the United States for visits.

Involvement in activities as a UA student helped develop her organizational skills,  Harrington says. She was social chairman at Humphreys dormitory her freshman year, a student affairs volunteer, freshman orientation leader and held various positions in Chi Omega sorority.

Harrington is active in her church and serves on the boards of many charitable organizations. She and her husband, Thomas Harrington, CPA, have five children.
   
Commencement speaker and Senior Scholar Brittany Adams, daughter of Jeff and Jeannie Bonds of Jonesboro, is also one of two John W. White Outstanding Student Award recipients. The Senior Scholar award is given to graduating seniors with a 4.0 grade point average. A Food Science major, Adams plans to pursue graduate studies with the goal of a career in research with a food company or as a university professor. She completed internships at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, UK, and with Simmons Pet Food in Siloam Springs. She is a member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Board and was Food Science Club president, among other activities.

Two John W. White Outstanding Student award recipients this year are Brittany Adams (see Senior Scholar Award above) and John Christopher “Chris” Looney, son of Dr. Charles Looney of Camden and Cathryn Looney of Monroe, La.  Looney is an Agricultural Business major with an economics concentration. He was the U of A mascots, Big Red and Ribby, in 2005-2006. He plans to pursue graduate studies in Agricultural Economics to prepare for a career in investments and economics research in business or government. His many activities included Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity officer, Bumpers College Ambassador and community service, including Battered Women’s Shelter volunteer.

Nine members of the Class of 2007 who successfully completed the Bumpers College Honors Program and are Honors Program Distinguished Graduates, are listed with their major and faculty mentor.
The Dale Bumpers Distinguished Scholars award is presented to an outstanding undergraduate transfer student and outstanding master’s and doctoral students.

The undergraduate transfer student recipient is Troy Weatherley, son of Dwayne Weatherley of Conway and Deanna Taylor of Enola. He transferred from Arkansas State University-Beebe as an Agricultural Education, Communication and Technology major and plans to teach high school agricultural science. As a student worker at the Savoy Swine Research Unit, he has assisted in research on animal environment and nutrition interactions. He has been active in Collegiate FFA/4-H, Collegiate Farm Bureau and Block and Bridle.
 
Burl Seversike of Olympia, Wash., is receiving a master’s degree with a concentration in Crop Management. He plans to pursue a doctorate with a focus on applying plant physiology and molecular biology to cropping systems issues. As an undergraduate, he spent three months working with farmers in Africa, and has a career goal of assisting small-scale farmers. He has received a number of other awards, including first place in the Arkansas Crop Protection Association’s M.S. paper competition the last two years.
 
Carol Ojano-Dirain received a doctorate in 2006 in Cell and Molecular Biology and is a Program Associate in the UA Center of Excellence for Poultry Science where she conducts research on mitochondrial function and feed efficiency in broilers. She taught a graduate seminar and manages a physiology laboratory. She has received many other awards, including the prestigious Alltech Student Research Manuscript Award at the International Poultry Science Forum for the last two years.

The Spitze Public Policy Legislative Internship, sponsored by Dr. Robert Spitze and Dr. Hazel Taylor Spitze, provides for a student internship in the United States Congress. This year’s recipient is Grant Hunt, son of Kirk and Lori Hunt of Brinkley. He is an Agricultural Business major - pre-law concentration, and plans to attend law school and pursue an LLD degree in Agricultural Law. He has been president of FarmHouse Fraternity and the AgriBusiness Club and was scribe in Alpha Zeta. Other awards include the FarmHouse Outstanding Member and Beginning Scholar.

The Presidential Scholar, the junior with the highest grade point average, is Laura Carpenter, daughter of Jim and Anne Carpenter of Benton. She is an Honors Program student majoring in Apparel Studies with minors in Marketing and French. She is treasurer of the Fashion Merchandising Club and Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, and a member of Gamma Beta Phi, Phi Upsilon Omicron, and Alpha Zeta Honor Societies.

The Bumpers College Alumni Society sponsors an annual scholarship and names two Ring Scholars each year, who each receive a class ring when they graduate.

The Alumni Society Scholarship recipient is Jonathan “Brent” Koonce, son of Thomas and Kay Koonce of Little Rock. An Animal Science major with a pre-vet concentration, he completed an undergraduate research project and was employed as an animal science research laboratory assistant. He plans to pursue a veterinary medicine degree and a career in research in the area of animal behavior.

Alumni Society Ring Scholars are Agricultural Education, Communication and Technology majors Ronald Koch, son of Ronnie and Joyce Koch of Clarksville, and Melissa Osburn, daughter of Dobbin and Diane Osburn of Mountainburg.

Ron Koch plans to attend graduate school and pursue a teaching career in agricultural science. A FarmHouse Fraternity officer, he was a Greeks Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol delegate and spring 2005 Pledge Class President. He was president Alpha Tau Alpha agricultural education fraternity and a member of Collegiate FFA/4-H and Alpha Zeta.

Melissa Osburn was president of Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. She served as an AEED R.E.P.S. recruiter for her major, has helped plan fund-raising events for children as a Fellowship of Friends Foundation board member and is a member of Alpha Zeta and Alpha Tau Alpha. She was a member of the college's first Student Advisory Board. As a 4-H Alumnus, she works with youth on livestock projects.

Nancy Jack, Assistant Professor of Animal Science, is the 2007 recipient of the Jack Justus Award for Teaching Excellence and the John W. White Teaching Award for Excellence. Dr. Jack developed the Dorothy E. King Equine Program, which includes public educational activities and the new Equine Science minor. She has spearheaded fund raising through donations and events that are very well attended by the public. Her teaching includes hands-on activities and group problem solving and attracts students from varied majors campus-wide. She has M.S. and Ph.D. degree in Animal Nutrition from New Mexico State University.

The Bumpers College Alumni Society Outstanding Advising Award recipient is Kathleen R. "Kathy" Smith, an Apparel Studies Instructor in the School of Human Environmental Sciences. As a graduate teaching assistant from 1991 to 1993 and an Instructor since 1994,  she has played a major role in the emergence of Apparel Studies as the most popular major in the College. She advises students on academics, internships and career goals, and is advisor to the Fashion Merchandising Club. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, NY, has a B.S. degree from The Ohio State University and M.S. degree from the U of A.

John W. White Award for Research Excellence recipient Dan Donoghue, Associate Professor of Poultry Science,  is a leading authority on drug, chemical and pathogen contamination of poultry. He served on a multi-agency group to develop and implement programs to reduce residues in the human food supply. Other awards include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine Scientist of the Year Award. Dr. Donohue has a Ph.D. degree in Poultry Science from Texas A&M University and M.S. and B.S. degrees, respectively, from Brigham Young University and the Medical University of South Carolina.
 
The John W. White Extension Excellence Award (State) goes to John Jennings, Extension Forage Specialist and Professor of Animal Science. He conducts statewide programs in grazing management, soil fertility, establishing legumes and reducing winter feed costs. He is executive secretary for the Arkansas Forage and Grassland Council. He received his B.S. degree from Southwest Missouri State University, an M.S. degree from the University of Arkansas, and Ph.D. degree from the University of Missouri.

The John W. White Extension Excellence Award (County) recipient is VeEtta Simmons, Staff Chair of the Crittenden County office of the Cooperative Extension Service. She has led extension programs since 1975 in Crittenden County. She has served in many leadership roles, including the Farm Family of the Year Selection Committee, TEA Coalition, FEMA, Vision 2010, and the state chapter of NEAFCS, the extension professional society. She is a graduate of Arkansas A. M. and N. College (now UA-Pine Bluff) and the University of Central Arkansas with B.S. and M.S.E. degrees in Home Economics Education.


The John W. White Outstanding Team Award goes to the Division of Agriculture's Functional Foods Program. The program includes research to evaluate and characterize phytonutrients in various foods and ways to improve retention in fresh and processed foods. It also includes extension efforts to increase the benefits of functional foods to consumers. Team members are Luke Howard, Professor of Food Science; Terry Siebenmorgen, University Professor of Food Science; Rosemary Rodibaugh, Professor of Nutrition and State Extension Nutrition Specialist; John R. Clark, Professor of Horticulture; Teddy Morelock, Professor of Horticulture; and Brad Murphy, Professor of Horticulture.

The Outstanding Professional Support Award (Non-Classified) recipient is James A. “Pete” Hornsby, a Research Associate in the Department of Animal Science, is manager of the Stocker and Receiving Cattle Research Unit at Savoy. He designed and supervised construction of the remodeled unit. He manages research projects and the budget for the unit. His many contributions include leading tours for producers and school children, helping to teach laboratory classes and marketing timber from the 3,000-acre Savoy property.

The  Outstanding Professional Support Award (Classified) awards go to Division of Agriculture employees Judy Haney with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Roberta Bufford with the Cooperative Extension Service.

Judy Haney, Accounting Technician II, has provided comprehensive accounting services since 1991 for the Food Science Department, where she was first employed as a clerk-stenographer in 1977. She also has served as office manager during transition periods for that position and assists in training new office staff. Ms. Haney has been recognized as a campus-wide Employee of the Quarter.

Roberta Bufford, Administrative Office Supervisor in the White County office of the Cooperative Extension Service, manages administrative activities and assists with program activities and events. She was first employed as a clerk-stenographer in 1976. She was promoted to secretary in 1977 and to her present position in 1997.

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